2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gathof
A surname of Germanic origin perhaps meaning "homestead on the hill".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Gathof. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gathof 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Gathof in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gathof, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gathof
The surname Gathof is believed to have originated in Germany, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German words "gat" and "hof," which together translates to "goat farm" or "goat court." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who owned or worked on a farm or estate where goats were raised.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gathof can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This indicates that the name was present in that area during that time period.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Johannes Gathof was mentioned in the town records of Lübeck, a prominent city in northern Germany. He was a merchant and landowner, suggesting that the name had become associated with a certain level of status and wealth by that point.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the surname Gathof was Hans Gathof, a German artist born in 1592 in the city of Nuremberg. He was known for his intricate woodcarvings and sculptures, many of which can still be found in museums and churches across Europe.
In the 18th century, a prominent philosopher and scholar named Friedrich Gathof lived in the city of Leipzig. He authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.
Later, in the 19th century, a German engineer named Karl Gathof made significant contributions to the development of early steam engine technology. His innovations helped pave the way for the industrial revolution and the widespread use of steam power.
Throughout its history, the surname Gathof has also been associated with various place names and locations within Germany, such as the town of Gathof in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, further cementing its origins and geographical roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gathof
Among Census respondents with the surname Gathof, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gathof 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 Gathof surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gathof
Gathof 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,590 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,992 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,590 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 3,992 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 Gathof 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 | #148,347 | #152,339 | -2.7% |
| Count | 111 | 106 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gathof bearers went from 111 to 106 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 3,992 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #152,339.
FAQ
Gathof surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gathof?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Gathof. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Gathof?
Gathof ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Gathof. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Gathof.
Has Gathof become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gathof went from 111 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Gathof?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gathof, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (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 Gathof in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gathof appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Hispanic (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 Gathof (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 Gathof mean?
A surname of Germanic origin perhaps meaning "homestead on the hill". 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 Gathof (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 last name Gathof?
Want to know how many people are called Gathof? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.