2000
#13,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,077
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Gartman
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "enclosed garden" or "orchard."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,096 Americans carry the last name Gartman. That puts it at #15,443 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,528 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gartman 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 163,528
Census rank
#15,443
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,828 bearers of the surname Gartman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15443rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gartman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gartman
The surname Gartman is of German origin, and it can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "Garten," which means garden or orchard. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked in a garden or orchard.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gartman can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Saxony, Germany, dating back to the late 1500s. These records often listed individuals by their occupation or place of residence, which could have led to the name Gartman being adopted.
In the 17th century, the name Gartman appeared in various documents and records across different regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Württemberg. Some variations in spelling, such as Gartmann and Gartemann, were also common during this time period.
While not a widespread surname, the name Gartman has been associated with a few notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Johann Gartman, a German theologian and professor who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Another was Friedrich Gartman, a German author and poet born in 1766, who wrote several works on literature and philosophy.
In the 19th century, a family by the name of Gartman settled in the United States, likely immigrating from Germany. One member of this family, Wilhelm Gartman (1823-1891), became a successful businessman and landowner in the Midwest.
Another individual of note was Hans Gartman (1901-1976), a German-born artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his works in bronze and stone. His sculptures can be found in various museums and public spaces across Europe.
While not as common as some other German surnames, the name Gartman has a rich history that can be traced back several centuries. Its origins are closely tied to the German language and the occupation or location of those who first bore the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gartman
Among Census respondents with the surname Gartman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gartman 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 Gartman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 1,624
- Two or more races5.5% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 47
- Black or African American2.0% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gartman
Gartman 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
#13,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,324
+247 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 280 places
2020
#15,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,828
-496 bearers (-21.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 2,283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,440 | 2,077 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,160 | 2,324 | 0.79 | +247 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 280 places |
| 2020 | #15,443 | 1,828 | 0.61 | -496 bearers (-21.3%) | Down 2,283 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 Gartman 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 | #13,160 | #15,443 | -17.3% |
| Count | 2,324 | 1,828 | -21.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.61 | -22.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gartman bearers went from 2,324 to 1,828 (-21.3% change). The surname moved down 2,283 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,160 to #15,443.
FAQ
Gartman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gartman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,096 living Americans carry the surname Gartman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,528 residents.
How common is Gartman?
Gartman ranks #15,443 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,828 people with the surname Gartman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,096), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Gartman.
Has Gartman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gartman went from 2,324 recorded bearers to 1,828. That is a decrease of 496 (-21.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,160 to #15,443.
What does the Census say about the background of Gartman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gartman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Gartman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (1,624 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gartman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (5.5%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Gartman (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 Gartman mean?
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "enclosed garden" or "orchard." 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 Gartman (0.61 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 share the surname Gartman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.