2000
#4,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,850
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.54
Rare Last name
Gass
An English occupational surname for someone who worked with glass or made glass windows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,141 Americans carry the last name Gass. That puts it at #5,407 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,998 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gass 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gass with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 47,998
Census rank
#5,407
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,227 bearers of the surname Gass in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5407th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gass, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gass
The surname GASS has its origins in the German language, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "gast," which meant "guest" or "stranger." This name was likely given to someone who had settled in a new area or was considered a newcomer.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname GASS can be found in a document from the German town of Esslingen, dated 1285. The document refers to a certain "Conradus dictus Gast," which translates to "Conrad, called Guest." This suggests that the name was initially used as a descriptive nickname before becoming a hereditary surname.
In the 14th century, the surname GASS appeared in various forms, such as "Gast," "Gest," and "Geste," in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Swabia. The variations in spelling were common during this period, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
A notable early bearer of the surname was Johann Gass, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1498 to 1552. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and authored several influential works on theology and ethics.
Another significant figure was Johann Gass, a German composer and organist who lived from 1674 to 1737. He is remembered for his contributions to the development of the organ concerto and his works for the Lutheran church.
In the 18th century, the surname GASS spread beyond Germany to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable bearer was Joachim Gass, a German-American pioneer and fur trader who lived from 1766 to 1835. He played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of the American West.
In the 19th century, the surname GASS was found in various regions of the United States, particularly in areas with significant German immigration. One notable figure from this period was Patrick Gass, an American soldier and explorer who lived from 1771 to 1870. He was a member of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition and kept a detailed journal of their journey across the western United States.
As the GASS surname spread across different regions and cultures, its spelling and pronunciation evolved. However, its origins can be traced back to the German word "gast," which served as a descriptive nickname for those who were considered newcomers or guests in a particular area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gass
Among Census respondents with the surname Gass, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gass 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 Gass surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 5,258
- Black or African American7.4% · 462
- Two or more races3.5% · 219
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 217
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gass
Gass 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
#5,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,818
-32 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 2.31
Rank movement Down 397 places
2020
#5,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,227
-591 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Down 274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,736 | 6,850 | 2.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,133 | 6,818 | 2.31 | -32 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 397 places |
| 2020 | #5,407 | 6,227 | 2.08 | -591 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 274 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 Gass 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 | #5,133 | #5,407 | -5.3% |
| Count | 6,818 | 6,227 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.31 | 2.08 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gass bearers went from 6,818 to 6,227 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 274 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,133 to #5,407.
FAQ
Gass surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gass?
Name Census estimates that about 7,141 living Americans carry the surname Gass. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,998 residents.
How common is Gass?
Gass ranks #5,407 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,227 people with the surname Gass. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,141), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gass.
Has Gass become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gass went from 6,818 recorded bearers to 6,227. That is a decrease of 591 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,133 to #5,407.
What does the Census say about the background of Gass?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gass, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Gass in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (5,258 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gass appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Black (7.4%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Gass (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 Gass mean?
An English occupational surname for someone who worked with glass or made glass windows. 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 Gass (2.08 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 Gass?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.