Getzel
A diminutive Yiddish masculine name meaning "good fortune" or "luck".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Getzel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Getzel today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Getzel births was 2013 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Getzel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Getzel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2013
7 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2013 SSA rank
#10,009
Tracked since 2013
Popularity
Getzel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Getzel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Getzel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Geography
Where Getzels live
Origin
Meaning and history of Getzel
The name Getzel is a Yiddish variant of the Hebrew name Gershon, originating from the biblical figure of the same name mentioned in the Torah. Gershon was one of the sons of Jacob and Leah, and his name is derived from the Hebrew word "ger," meaning "stranger" or "sojourner." The name Getzel gained popularity among Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.
In the 11th century, a renowned Jewish scholar and grammarian named Gershom ben Judah, also known as Rabbenu Gershom, played a significant role in popularizing the name. He established several important regulations, including the prohibition of polygamy and the requirement for a husband's consent before a divorce could be granted, which became widely accepted in Ashkenazi communities.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Getzel was Getzel Eliyahu, a 16th-century Kabbalist and Talmudic scholar from Krakow, Poland. His teachings and writings on Jewish mysticism and the Kabbalah were influential in his time.
In the 17th century, Getzel Segal was a prominent rabbi and Talmudic scholar in Lviv, Ukraine. He was known for his expertise in Jewish law and his influential teachings.
During the 18th century, Getzel ben Yaakov Margaliot was a renowned rabbinical scholar and author from Brody, Ukraine. He wrote several important works on Jewish law and ethics, including the widely studied "Shas Getzel."
In the 19th century, Getzel Ellenberg was a prominent Hasidic rabbi and leader in Galicia, now part of modern-day Poland and Ukraine. He was known for his wisdom, piety, and spiritual leadership.
Another notable figure was Getzel Zev Margaliot, a 19th-century Talmudic scholar and rabbi from Brody, Ukraine. He was highly respected for his extensive knowledge of Jewish law and his contributions to the study of the Talmud.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Getzel, demonstrating its longstanding presence and significance within Jewish communities, particularly in Eastern Europe. The name's origins and cultural associations reflect its deep-rooted connection to the rich tapestry of Jewish history, tradition, and scholarship.
People
Getzel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Getzel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Getzel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Getzel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Getzel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Getzel a common name?
We classify Getzel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Getzel most popular?
The single biggest year for Getzel was 2013, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Getzel is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Getzel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Getzel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Getzel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Getzel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Getzel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Getzel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Getzel?
Want to know how many people share the name Getzel? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.