2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gadke
A surname originating from a German place name or a nickname for a lively person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 185 Americans carry the last name Gadke. That puts it at #115,151 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,852,726 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gadke surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
185
1 in 1,852,726
Census rank
#115,151
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
161
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 161 bearers of the surname Gadke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 115151st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadke, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gadke
The surname "GADKE" has its origins traced back to Germany, specifically in the region of Lower Saxony. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name "GADKE" is thought to derive from the Old German word "gad," meaning "companion" or "comrade." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a trusted companion or associate of a prominent individual or family.
In the early records, the name appeared with various spelling variations, such as "Gadke," "Gadcke," and "Gatke." These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions during that time.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name "GADKE" can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the region of Bremen, dated around the 14th century. This suggests that the name was well-established in the area during that period.
Among the notable individuals with the surname "GADKE" was Johann Gadke, born in 1549 in Stade, Lower Saxony. He was a prominent merchant and trader who played a significant role in the economic development of the region.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Gadke family settled in the town of Lüneburg, where they became influential in local politics and trade. One notable member was Hans Gadke, born in 1602, who served as a member of the town council.
The name "GADKE" also appeared in the records of the town of Celle, Lower Saxony, where a family by that name owned a successful brewery in the 17th century. One of the descendants, Wilhelm Gadke, born in 1674, was a respected brewer and businessman.
In the 18th century, the Gadke family expanded their influence to other parts of Germany, with some members settling in the region of Saxony-Anhalt. One notable individual was Carl Friedrich Gadke, born in 1723 in Halberstadt, who was a renowned scholar and writer.
Another prominent figure with the surname "GADKE" was Gustav Gadke, born in 1832 in Berlin. He was a military officer and participated in the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War, earning several honors for his service.
It's important to note that while these examples provide a glimpse into the historical origins and notable figures associated with the surname "GADKE," the name has likely evolved and spread to different regions over time, contributing to its diversity and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gadke
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadke, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gadke bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gadke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.4% · 160
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gadke
Gadke appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+4 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,828 places
2020
#115,151
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 161
+21 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 7,913 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +4 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 4,828 places |
| 2020 | #115,151 | 161 | 0.05 | +21 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 7,913 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gadke surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #123,064 | #115,151 | 6.4% |
| Count | 140 | 161 | 15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gadke bearers went from 140 to 161 (+15.0% change). The surname moved up 7,913 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #115,151.
FAQ
Gadke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gadke?
Name Census estimates that about 185 living Americans carry the surname Gadke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,852,726 residents.
How common is Gadke?
Gadke ranks #115,151 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 161 people with the surname Gadke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (185), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gadke.
Has Gadke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gadke went from 140 recorded bearers to 161. That is an increase of 21 (+15.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #123,064 to #115,151.
What does the Census say about the background of Gadke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadke, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gadke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.4% (160 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gadke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.4%), Two or More Races (0.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gadke (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gadke mean?
A surname originating from a German place name or a nickname for a lively person. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gadke (0.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Gadke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.