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

Gaus, 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 Gaus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gaus in America

Gaus is the 21119th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gaus surname appeared 1,243 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 Gaus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gaus 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 Gaus

The surname GAUS is of German origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "gaus" or "gos," which referred to a goose or waterfowl. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with or raised geese.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GAUS surname can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Germany, where a certain Hans Gaus is mentioned in 1389. The name also appears in various other historical documents from the region, such as land records and census rolls, indicating its widespread use in Southern Germany during the late Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the GAUS surname was Johann Gaus (1505-1555), a German Protestant reformer and theologian. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and was a close associate of Martin Luther.

The GAUS name has also been associated with several places in Germany, such as Gaustadt, a town in Bavaria, and Gausbach, a small river in Rhineland-Palatinate. These place names may have contributed to the evolution and spread of the surname over time.

Another prominent individual with the GAUS surname was Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855), a renowned German mathematician and physicist. He made groundbreaking contributions to various fields, including number theory, algebra, and astronomy, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.

In the 19th century, Johann Wilhelm Gaus (1804-1854) was a German historian and philologist who specialized in the study of ancient Greek literature and culture. He served as a professor at the University of Leipzig and published several influential works.

Moving into the 20th century, Günter Gaus (1929-2004) was a German journalist and author who played a significant role in shaping public discourse in post-war Germany. He was known for his insightful interviews and commentary on political and social issues.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the GAUS surname, reflecting its deep roots and diverse applications across various fields and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gaus

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

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 Gaus 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 Gaus 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 Gaus was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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