2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ganshirt
A German surname likely derived from the occupational term "Angster" meaning textile worker or weaver.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Ganshirt. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ganshirt 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Ganshirt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ganshirt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ganshirt
The surname GANSHIRT has its origins in Germany, with records pointing to its first appearance in the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Gans," meaning goose, and "Hirt," meaning herdsman or shepherd, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who tended geese for a living.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the village of Oberschopfheim, located in the southwestern region of Germany, where a certain Johannes Ganshirt was mentioned in a church register dated 1587. This suggests that the name may have originated in this area or nearby regions.
Another early reference to the surname appears in the city of Nuremberg, where a merchant named Heinrich Ganshirt was documented in a guild record from 1612. This indicates that the name had spread to urban centers by the early 17th century, likely as a result of migration and trade.
In the 18th century, the GANSHIRT name gained some prominence with the birth of Johann Christoph Ganshirt (1700-1776), a prominent Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony. His works, which included commentaries on religious texts and sermons, were widely circulated during his lifetime and helped establish the family name among scholarly circles.
Another notable figure bearing the surname was Friedrich Wilhelm Ganshirt (1809-1888), a German jurist and politician who served as a member of the Reichstag (Imperial Parliament) in the late 19th century. He was known for his advocacy of civil rights and his efforts to reform the legal system.
Crossing into the 20th century, one can find references to Wilhelm Ganshirt (1887-1945), a German military officer who served in both World Wars. He attained the rank of General der Infanterie (Lieutenant General) and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his service during World War II.
It is worth noting that variations in spelling, such as Ganshirt, Ganssirt, and Gansshirt, can be found in historical records, reflecting the fluidity of orthography in earlier times. Additionally, the name may have evolved from or been influenced by certain place names, such as the village of Ganshoren near Brussels, Belgium, or the town of Gansingen in Switzerland, though these connections are speculative.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ganshirt
Among Census respondents with the surname Ganshirt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ganshirt 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 Ganshirt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 114
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ganshirt
Ganshirt 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+9 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 312 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 950 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 312 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 950 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 Ganshirt 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 | #145,220 | #144,270 | 0.7% |
| Count | 114 | 117 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ganshirt bearers went from 114 to 117 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 950 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #144,270.
FAQ
Ganshirt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ganshirt?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Ganshirt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Ganshirt?
Ganshirt ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Ganshirt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Ganshirt.
Has Ganshirt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ganshirt went from 114 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Ganshirt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ganshirt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Ganshirt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ganshirt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Ganshirt (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 Ganshirt mean?
A German surname likely derived from the occupational term "Angster" meaning textile worker or weaver. 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 Ganshirt (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 have the surname Ganshirt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.