Find out how popular the last name Gatz is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gatz.

Gatz, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gatz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gatz in America

Gatz is the 20364th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gatz surname appeared 1,305 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gatz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gatz to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gatz

The surname "GATZ" is believed to have originated in Germany during the late medieval period, specifically in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Gatz," which was a nickname or pet name referring to a person's physical appearance or personality traits.

One of the earliest known references to the name "GATZ" can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, dating back to the 15th century. In these records, a certain Hans Gatz is mentioned as a merchant and landowner in the year 1473. This suggests that the name was already established and relatively prominent in that region by the late Middle Ages.

Another notable historical figure bearing the surname "GATZ" was Johann Gatz, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1592 to 1658. He was known for his writings on the religious conflicts of the Reformation era and his contributions to the field of Protestant theology.

In the 18th century, the "GATZ" name can be found in various records from the German state of Prussia. One such record mentions a Friedrich Gatz, born in 1722, who served as a military officer in the Prussian army during the reign of King Frederick the Great.

As the centuries passed, the "GATZ" surname spread beyond its German origins. In the 19th century, there are records of individuals with this surname living in various parts of Europe, including Austria, Switzerland, and even Russia. One notable example is Karl Gatz, an Austrian painter and printmaker who lived from 1825 to 1903 and was known for his landscape and genre paintings.

Another famous bearer of the "GATZ" surname was the German-American author and playwright Carl Gatz, who was born in 1884 in Berlin and later emigrated to the United States. He is best known for his plays and novels that explored the experiences of German immigrants in America during the early 20th century.

While the "GATZ" surname may not be as widely recognized as some other German surnames, its history spans centuries and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, scholars, military officers, artists, and writers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gatz

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gatz.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gatz was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gatz has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gatz was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gatz, please contact us.

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