Gatlin
An English surname probably built from the older name Catlin or Gatelyn, with the exact origin uncertain.
The #3,329 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,627 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Gatlin appears to be a later spelling of older English surname forms such as Catlin, Catling, or Gatelyn. The historical excerpt suggests the initial G- may simply reflect spelling variation rather than a separate root. Because the medieval forms are not fully secure and the name may have shifted over time, the literal origin is uncertain.
History
Bardsley notes medieval forms such as Gatelin and Johanna Gatelyn, showing that related spellings were present in England by the 12th and 13th centuries. The modern Gatlin form is best understood as one of several later variants that survived alongside Catlin and Catling. In the United States, Gatlin is uncommon but established, with notable visibility from the surname of gun inventor Richard Gatling, though that is a different name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley explicitly raises the possibility that Gatlin and Catlin are the same surname in different spellings.
From the historical record
“the Atlantic, and gave us there the Gatling-gun. It is quite possible that Gatlin or Catling is Catlin or Catling; cf. Cammel and Gammel. CeolTrey Gatelin, cs. Wilt*, 1173. A, Johanna Gatelyn, co. Wilu, ibiil KewYort,!, 3.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances