Explore the Family Name Gnat
The meaning of Gnat
1. Polish: nickname for someone with long limbs, from gnat ‘long bone, especially shinbone’. 2. South German: rare variant of Gnadt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gnat in the United States?
The surname Gnat has seen a slight decline in popularity over the decade, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it was ranked as the 73,412th most common surname, but by 2010, it had slipped to the 75,564th position, a decrease of about 2.93%. Despite this fall in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Gnat surname increased by 3.66% during the same period, from 246 to 255. The proportion of Gnats per 100,000 people remained static at 0.09.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #73,412 | #75,564 | -2.93% |
| Count | 246 | 255 | 3.66% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gnat
In terms of ethnicity, the majority of individuals with the Gnat surname identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. While there was a marginal decline in this category, dropping from 91.87% to 91.76%, the overall representation remained high. Interestingly, there was a notable decrease in the number of Black individuals identifying with the Gnat surname, falling from 6.10% to 4.31%. Additionally, the 2010 census saw the emergence of Asian/Pacific Islanders within this surname group, making up 1.96% of Gnats, a demographic that did not appear in the 2000 data. There were no changes recorded for those identifying as Hispanic, or American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.87% | 91.76% | -0.12% |
| Black | 6.1% | 4.31% | -29.34% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.96% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |