2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Gadlage
An occupational surname meaning a cultivator or farmer of arable land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Gadlage. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gadlage 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Gadlage in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadlage, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gadlage
The surname Gadlage is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, where it was derived from the Old German word "gad," meaning "a spike or pointed object." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with professions involving sharp tools or weapons, such as blacksmiths or armorers.
One of the earliest known references to the name Gadlage can be found in the historical records of the city of Leipzig, dating back to the 14th century. These documents mention a family by the name of Gadlage residing in the city's outskirts, engaged in metalworking and other artisanal trades.
In the 16th century, the name Gadlage appears in various church records and municipal archives across different German states, indicating that families bearing this surname had dispersed throughout the region. Notable individuals from this period include Hans Gadlage, a respected goldsmith from Nuremberg (1525-1592), and Katharina Gadlage, a renowned herbalist from Erfurt (1560-1635).
As the centuries progressed, the name Gadlage continued to be represented across various professions and social strata. In the 18th century, Johann Gadlage (1712-1789) was a prominent theologian and philosopher from Leipzig, known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy.
The 19th century saw the rise of several notable figures bearing the Gadlage name, including Friedrich Gadlage (1818-1887), a German educator and author who wrote extensively on teaching methods and educational reform. Another significant figure was Wilhelm Gadlage (1842-1912), a renowned architect from Berlin who designed several iconic buildings in the city, including the Berliner Rathaus (Berlin City Hall).
In more recent history, the name Gadlage has been associated with several accomplished individuals, such as Erich Gadlage (1901-1978), a German physicist and pioneer in the field of nuclear physics, and Gerhard Gadlage (1925-2002), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the German Constitutional Court.
While the surname Gadlage has its roots in the German-speaking regions, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of German heritage and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gadlage
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadlage, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gadlage 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 Gadlage surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 86
- Two or more races8.6% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.8% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gadlage
Gadlage appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,723 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 6,723 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 Gadlage 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 | #159,712 | #152,989 | 4.2% |
| Count | 101 | 105 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gadlage bearers went from 101 to 105 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 6,723 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,989.
FAQ
Gadlage surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gadlage?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Gadlage. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Gadlage?
Gadlage ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Gadlage. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gadlage.
Has Gadlage become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gadlage went from 101 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 4 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Gadlage?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gadlage, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%). 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 Gadlage in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gadlage appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Two or More Races (8.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.8%). 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 Gadlage (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 Gadlage mean?
An occupational surname meaning a cultivator or farmer of arable land. 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 Gadlage (0.04 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 are called Gadlage?
Want to know how common the surname Gadlage is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.