2000
#85,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Gautschi
A Swiss surname from a habitational name for someone from Gautschen or Gautschi.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 256 Americans carry the last name Gautschi. That puts it at #89,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,338,884 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gautschi 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
256
1 in 1,338,884
Census rank
#89,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
223
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 223 bearers of the surname Gautschi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 89231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gautschi, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gautschi
The surname GAUTSCHI originates from Switzerland, where it first appeared in the German-speaking regions during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "Gauzo," which was a personal name that meant "villager" or "peasant." Over time, this name evolved into various forms, including GAUTSCHI.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GAUTSCHI can be found in a Swiss document from the 14th century. In this document, a man named Hans GAUTSCHI is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Oberwil, near Zug. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
In the 16th century, the name GAUTSCHI appeared in the records of the city of Bern, where several individuals with this surname were listed as citizens and tradesmen. One notable example is Johannes GAUTSCHI, a skilled carpenter who was born in 1524 and worked on various construction projects in the city.
During the 17th century, the GAUTSCHI family expanded their presence in Switzerland, with branches of the family settling in different cantons. One prominent figure from this period was Heinrich GAUTSCHI, a Protestant theologian and author who was born in 1631 and wrote several influential works on religious topics.
As the GAUTSCHI surname spread throughout Switzerland, it also found its way into other parts of Europe. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, where they established themselves as successful farmers and merchants. One notable individual from this line was Karl GAUTSCHI, a prominent businessman who lived from 1782 to 1856.
In the 19th century, several members of the GAUTSCHI family made significant contributions in various fields. For instance, Johann Jakob GAUTSCHI (1828-1901) was a Swiss mathematician who made important contributions to the field of numerical analysis, while Emil GAUTSCHI (1861-1934) was a renowned Swiss architect who designed several notable buildings in Zurich and Basel.
Throughout its long history, the GAUTSCHI surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, spanning from farmers and artisans to scholars and businessmen. Despite its humble origins as a name denoting a "villager" or "peasant," the GAUTSCHI name has gained recognition and respect over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gautschi
Among Census respondents with the surname Gautschi, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gautschi 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 Gautschi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.7% · 180
- Hispanic or Latino14.8% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 5
- Two or more races1.3% · 3
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gautschi
Gautschi 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
#84,136
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 223
+20 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 1,507 places
2020
#89,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 223
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 5,095 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #85,643 | 203 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #84,136 | 223 | 0.08 | +20 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 1,507 places |
| 2020 | #89,231 | 223 | 0.07 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 5,095 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 Gautschi 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 | #84,136 | #89,231 | -6.1% |
| Count | 223 | 223 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.07 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gautschi bearers went from 223 to 223 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 5,095 positions in the national ranking, going from #84,136 to #89,231.
FAQ
Gautschi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gautschi?
Name Census estimates that about 256 living Americans carry the surname Gautschi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,338,884 residents.
How common is Gautschi?
Gautschi ranks #89,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 223 people with the surname Gautschi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (256), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Gautschi.
Has Gautschi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gautschi went from 223 recorded bearers to 223. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #84,136 to #89,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Gautschi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gautschi, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.2%). 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 Gautschi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (180 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gautschi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.7%), Hispanic (14.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.2%). 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 Gautschi (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 Gautschi mean?
A Swiss surname from a habitational name for someone from Gautschen or Gautschi. 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 Gautschi (0.07 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 Americans have the surname Gautschi?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.