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

Gauss, 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 Gauss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gauss in America

Gauss is the 24352nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gauss surname appeared 1,029 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 Gauss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gauss 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 Gauss

The surname Gauss is of German origin and is believed to have emerged in the 16th century. It is derived from the Germanic personal name "Gaus" or "Gaus-hart," which means "brave spearman." The name is thought to have originated in the region of Bavaria, particularly in the areas around Munich and Nuremberg.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gauss can be found in the German church records from the late 16th century. These records mention individuals with the name Gauss residing in various towns and villages across Bavaria. The name was also present in other regions of Germany, such as Saxony and Thuringia, during this period.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Gauss appeared in various historical documents and records across German-speaking regions. For example, the name was mentioned in the Kirchenbücher (church registers) of several parishes in Saxony and Thuringia, indicating the presence of Gauss families in those areas.

One of the most notable figures with the surname Gauss is Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss, a renowned German mathematician and physicist, who lived from 1777 to 1855. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time and made significant contributions to various fields, including number theory, algebra, statistics, and astronomy.

Another prominent individual with the surname Gauss was Karl Friedrich Gauss, a German lawyer and politician, who lived from 1777 to 1853. He served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and was known for his advocacy of liberal and democratic ideals.

In the 19th century, the surname Gauss was also found in other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with German-speaking populations. For instance, there were records of individuals with the name Gauss in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly in regions like Bohemia and Moravia.

Philipp Gauss, a German entrepreneur and industrialist who lived from 1802 to 1877, was another notable figure with this surname. He founded the Gauss-Werke, a major machinery and engineering company based in Bochum, Germany, which played a significant role in the industrialization of the Ruhr region.

The surname Gauss has also been associated with several place names in Germany. For example, there is a town called Gausbach in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which may have derived its name from the surname or vice versa.

Overall, the surname Gauss has a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, with its earliest origins traceable to Bavaria in the 16th century. Over the centuries, it has been carried by numerous individuals, including several notable figures, and has left its mark on various historical records and place names across Germany and other parts of Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gauss

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!