Explore the Family Name Gautam
The meaning of Gautam
Indian: from the male personal name Gautama (from Sanskrit go ‘cow, cattle’ + the superlative suffix tama). There have been several Indian sages named Gotama and Gautama. Gautama was the epithet of the Buddha; it was also the personal name of the chief disciple of Mahavira, and is the name of a gotra (subdivision) of the Brahmins and some other communities.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gautam in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Gautam has shown a significant increase in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Gautam ranked 48,776 amongst U.S. surnames; by 2010, it had surged to rank 17,839, representing an impressive increase of 63.43%. Likewise, the count of people with this surname grew from 406 to 1,568—a change of 286.21%. This was reflected in the proportion per 100k people, with a substantial increase from 0.15 to 0.53, marking a 253.33% rise.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #48,776 | #17,839 | 63.43% |
| Count | 406 | 1,568 | 286.21% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.53 | 253.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gautam
The ethnicity distribution for the surname Gautam also experienced shifts over the same period. The Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of individuals identifying with this surname were of Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity, with a slight increase in representation from 91.87% in 2000 to 94.77% in 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races fell drastically by nearly half from 3.94% to 1.98%. The representation of White individuals marginally increased from 2.22% to 2.3%, while the Black population disappeared entirely from the 2010 statistics after making up 1.23% in 2000. The Hispanic community saw the emergence of the Gautam surname with a 0.38% representation in 2010. American Indian and Alaskan Native populations did not feature any individuals with this surname during either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 91.87% | 94.77% | 3.16% |
| White | 2.22% | 2.3% | 3.6% |
| Two or More Races | 3.94% | 1.98% | -49.75% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0.38% | 0% |
| Black | 1.23% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |