2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gansman
A locational surname referring to someone from a locality called Gansau or similar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 148 Americans carry the last name Gansman. That puts it at #135,344 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,315,908 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gansman 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
148
1 in 2,315,908
Census rank
#135,344
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
129
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 129 bearers of the surname Gansman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 135344th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gansman, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gansman
The surname "GANSMAN" is thought to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old German word "gansman," which referred to a person who oversaw or managed a group of people or workers, such as a foreman or overseer.
In its early years, the name was primarily found in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was associated with individuals who held positions of authority within various trades and professions. The spelling of the name has remained relatively consistent over time, with minor variations such as "Gansman," "Ganssmann," and "Gansmann" appearing in historical records.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Nuremberg, which mentions a "Hans Gansman" who was a prominent merchant and guild member. Another notable figure bearing this surname was Johann Gansman (1492-1551), a German theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg, who was a contemporary of Martin Luther and played a role in the Protestant Reformation.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name began to spread beyond Germany to other parts of Europe as individuals with this surname migrated or emigrated. For instance, in the Netherlands, there are records of a family named "Gansman" residing in Amsterdam in the late 16th century, while in England, the name can be traced back to the early 17th century, likely brought by German immigrants.
Other notable individuals with the surname "Gansman" include:
1. Franz Gansman (1760-1828), a German composer and music teacher from Saxony.
2. Heinrich Gansman (1795-1865), a German painter and engraver from Berlin.
3. Wilhelmine Gansman (1807-1882), a German actress and opera singer who performed in several major European cities.
4. August Gansman (1824-1902), a German-American engineer and inventor who designed and patented various agricultural machines and tools.
5. Karl Gansman (1876-1941), a German architect and urban planner who contributed to the development of several German cities in the early 20th century.
While the surname "Gansman" is not among the most common surnames globally, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its origins in medieval Germany, where it was associated with individuals in positions of authority and management within various professions and trades.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gansman
Among Census respondents with the surname Gansman, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Gansman 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 Gansman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 129
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gansman
Gansman 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+25 bearers (+24.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,465 places
2020
#135,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+3 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,481 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +25 bearers (+24.8%) | Up 15,465 places |
| 2020 | #135,344 | 129 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 1,481 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 Gansman 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 | #133,863 | #135,344 | -1.1% |
| Count | 126 | 129 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gansman bearers went from 126 to 129 (+2.4% change). The surname moved down 1,481 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #135,344.
FAQ
Gansman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gansman?
Name Census estimates that about 148 living Americans carry the surname Gansman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,315,908 residents.
How common is Gansman?
Gansman ranks #135,344 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 129 people with the surname Gansman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (148), 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 Gansman.
Has Gansman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gansman went from 126 recorded bearers to 129. That is an increase of 3 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #135,344.
What does the Census say about the background of Gansman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gansman, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Gansman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (129 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gansman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Gansman (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 Gansman mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a locality called Gansau or similar. 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 Gansman (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 Gansman?
You can see how many people have the surname Gansman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.