Gaither
A surname of uncertain origin, probably a regional spelling variant of Gaiter or a related name.
The #3,324 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,614 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Gaither is likely an English surname in origin, but the exact derivation is not securely established from the excerpts provided. It may be a spelling variant of Gaiter, which could in turn reflect a nickname, occupational, or local form in older English usage. Because the historical material here only mentions the name in passing and does not give a full etymology, the safest conclusion is that the name’s precise root remains uncertain.
History
In the United States, Gaither is best known as a surname with a long but relatively uncommon history, especially in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern states. The provided 19th-century source excerpt only confirms the name’s presence in use by that period, not its origin. Modern American bearers may descend from one or more English family lines whose spellings were stabilized differently over time.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is uncommon but well established in American records, with more than 10,000 bearers in the 2010 U.S. Census.
From the historical record
“riage is mentioned in " Galignani," Oct. 13, 1859. Mrs. Gaiter appears in our Directory for 1857 ; and Mr. Gaither is President of the Senate of Maryland. That name is found among the graduates of West Point. Francis Chapeau died in 1824. Our Miss Linen, being unduly desirous of increasing her ward- robe, was sent…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)