2000
#14,838
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,833
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Gaertner
A German occupational surname for a gardener or one who cultivated plants.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,136 Americans carry the last name Gaertner. That puts it at #15,186 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 160,466 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaertner 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
2.1K
1 in 160,466
Census rank
#15,186
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,863 bearers of the surname Gaertner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15186th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaertner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaertner
The surname Gaertner has its origins in Germany, where it emerged during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Gärtner," which translates to "gardener" or "horticulturist." This occupational surname was initially given to individuals who worked as gardeners or cultivated gardens and vineyards.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Gaertner can be traced back to the 13th century in various German regions, such as Bavaria and Saxony. Some of the earliest documented spellings include Gartner, Gertner, and Gartener. These variations reflect the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.
One notable historical reference to the name Gaertner is found in the Stadtbücher (city books) of Nuremberg, dating back to the late 14th century. These records document individuals with the surname Gaertner engaged in various professions, including gardening and horticulture.
In the 16th century, the Gaertner family played a significant role in the development of horticulture and botany in Germany. Johann Gaertner (1498-1574), a botanist and physician from Calw, wrote several influential works on plant taxonomy and medicinal herbs. His son, Jacob Gaertner (1550-1619), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned botanist and professor at the University of Altdorf.
Another prominent figure with the surname Gaertner was Carl Friedrich von Gaertner (1772-1850), a German naturalist and botanist. He is best known for his extensive work on plant taxonomy and his contributions to the study of plant anatomy and morphology.
Other notable individuals with the surname Gaertner include:
1. Joseph Gaertner (1732-1791), a German botanist and physician, who published influential works on plant taxonomy and classification.
2. Karl Christian Gaertner (1712-1791), a German painter and engraver, known for his contributions to the art of mezzotint printmaking.
3. Eduard Gaertner (1801-1877), a German architect and urban planner, responsible for the design of several notable buildings in Berlin.
4. Gustav Gaertner (1855-1937), a German physicist and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of X-ray technology and its applications in medicine.
5. Friedrich von Gaertner (1791-1847), a German architect and city planner, who played a significant role in the urban development of Munich during the 19th century.
While the surname Gaertner has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the occupation of gardening and horticulture, reflecting the cultural and historical significance of these professions in German society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaertner
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaertner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaertner 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 Gaertner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 1,738
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 63
- Two or more races2.3% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaertner
Gaertner 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
#15,303
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,918
+85 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 465 places
2020
#15,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,863
-55 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 117 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,838 | 1,833 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,303 | 1,918 | 0.65 | +85 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 465 places |
| 2020 | #15,186 | 1,863 | 0.62 | -55 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 117 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 Gaertner 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 | #15,303 | #15,186 | 0.8% |
| Count | 1,918 | 1,863 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.62 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaertner bearers went from 1,918 to 1,863 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 117 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,303 to #15,186.
FAQ
Gaertner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaertner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,136 living Americans carry the surname Gaertner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 160,466 residents.
How common is Gaertner?
Gaertner ranks #15,186 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,863 people with the surname Gaertner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gaertner.
Has Gaertner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaertner went from 1,918 recorded bearers to 1,863. That is a decrease of 55 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,303 to #15,186.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaertner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaertner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Gaertner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (1,738 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaertner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Gaertner (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 Gaertner mean?
A German occupational surname for a gardener or one who cultivated plants. 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 Gaertner (0.62 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 Americans have the surname Gaertner?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.