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

Geil, 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 Geil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Geil in America

Geil is the 20421st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Geil surname appeared 1,301 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 Geil.

We can also compare 2010 data for Geil 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 Geil

The surname GEIL is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old High German word "geil," which meant "lively" or "lustful." The name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for individuals with a vivacious or energetic personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GEIL surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Bavaria. In 1265, a document from the town of Regensburg mentioned a certain "Heinricus Geil," suggesting that the name was already in use during that period.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the GEIL surname appeared in various historical records across Germany. For instance, in the 14th century, a certain "Johannes Geil" was mentioned in the records of the city of Nuremberg. This indicates that the name had spread to different parts of the country by that time.

During the 16th century, the GEIL surname was also found in Switzerland. One notable individual bearing this name was Hans Geil, a Swiss Protestant reformer born in 1490 in Schaffhausen. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and was a contemporary of Martin Luther.

In the 17th century, the GEIL surname gained prominence in the German state of Hesse. Johann Friedrich Geil, born in 1668 in Darmstadt, was a notable philosopher and theologian who contributed to the intellectual discourse of his time.

Another noteworthy individual with the GEIL surname was Wilhelm Geil, a German painter born in 1846 in Heidelberg. He was known for his landscape paintings and was a member of the Düsseldorf school of painting.

As the centuries passed, the GEIL surname continued to spread across various regions of Germany and beyond. It is worth noting that the name was sometimes spelled differently, such as "Geyl" or "Geill," due to regional variations in language and spelling conventions.

While the surname GEIL has its roots in Germany, it has since been adopted by families in other parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant German immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where it emerged as a descriptive nickname reflecting the lively and energetic nature of its bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Geil

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

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

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

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