Explore the Family Name Gent
The meaning of Gent
1. English (northern) and French: nickname from Old French gent, Middle English gent(e) ‘high born, noble’, hence ‘noble of character or conduct, courteous’, also ‘nice, friendly’. 2. English: habitational name from Ghent (Gent in Dutch), a city in Flanders, Belgium. Compare Ghent. 3. German: from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with gand ‘spell’, such as Gandolf. 4. Dutch (Van Gent): habitational name for someone from the place Gent, nowadays formally spelled Gendt, near Nijmegen in the province of Gelderland, or from Gent in Flanders, Belgium.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gent in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Gent has seen a subtle shift in its popularity over a decade. In 2000, Gent was ranked at 13,724 among all surnames, with 2,025 individuals carrying this name, equating to a proportion of 0.75 per 100,000 people. By 2010, the rank had only slightly changed to 13,759, while the count increased to 2,199 individuals, keeping the proportion per 100,000 steady at 0.75.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,724 | #13,759 | -0.26% |
| Count | 2,025 | 2,199 | 8.59% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gent
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting trends for the surname Gent between 2000 and 2010. The highest proportion of people with this surname identified as White, with percentages remaining relatively stable at 88.25% in 2000 and 88.18% in 2010. The second-largest group identified as Black, but their percentage declined from 8.25% to 6.73%. Meanwhile, the proportions of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native saw significant increases, from 0.49% to 1.05% and 0.40% to 0.95% respectively. Those identifying as Hispanic also rose from 1.14% to 1.73%. However, the number of individuals identifying as two or more races decreased marginally from 1.48% to 1.36%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.25% | 88.18% | -0.08% |
| Black | 8.25% | 6.73% | -18.42% |
| Hispanic | 1.14% | 1.73% | 51.75% |
| Two or More Races | 1.48% | 1.36% | -8.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.49% | 1.05% | 114.29% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.4% | 0.95% | 137.5% |