2000
#8,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,533
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.31
Rare Last name
Geiser
A German and Swiss occupational surname referring to someone who casts metal, derived from the German word "giessen," meaning "to pour."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,058 Americans carry the last name Geiser. That puts it at #8,883 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,464 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Geiser 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
4.1K
1 in 84,464
Census rank
#8,883
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,539 bearers of the surname Geiser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8883rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Geiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Geiser
The surname Geiser is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "geiss," which means "goat." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers may have been goatherds or lived in an area known for its goat population.
The Geiser surname first appeared in the historical records of the 13th century in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia, located in what is now southern Germany. Early spellings of the name included Geyser, Geisser, and Geysser, reflecting the variations in dialect and pronunciation across different areas.
One of the earliest documented references to the Geiser name can be found in the Codex Diplomatus, a collection of medieval charters and deeds from the Duchy of Bavaria, dated 1285. This record mentions a certain "Hainricus Geiser" as a witness to a land transaction.
In the 14th century, the name Geiser appeared in the town records of Augsburg, a prominent city in Bavaria. These records mention a "Johannes Geiser," who was a respected craftsman and member of the local guild.
During the Renaissance period, a notable Geiser was Christoph Geiser (1505-1573), a German theologian and reformer from Swabia. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and played a crucial role in shaping the religious landscape of the region.
Another significant individual with the Geiser surname was Johann Geiser (1620-1690), a Swiss mathematician and astronomer. He made important contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and is remembered for his work on the calculation of planetary orbits.
In the 19th century, Karl Geiser (1818-1891) was a prominent Swiss artist and painter. He is renowned for his landscapes and portraiture, and his works are housed in several prestigious art galleries across Europe.
The Geiser surname also has a notable connection to geographical locations. In Switzerland, there is a town called Geisweid, which translates to "goat pasture," possibly indicating a settlement founded by individuals with the Geiser surname or related to their occupation as goatherds.
While the Geiser name has its origins in Germany and Switzerland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above highlight the surname's deep roots in the Germanic regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Geiser
Among Census respondents with the surname Geiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Geiser 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 Geiser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 3,307
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 117
- Two or more races2.3% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Geiser
Geiser 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
#8,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,912
+379 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 137 places
2020
#8,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,539
-373 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 440 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,580 | 3,533 | 1.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,443 | 3,912 | 1.33 | +379 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 137 places |
| 2020 | #8,883 | 3,539 | 1.18 | -373 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 440 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 Geiser 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 | #8,443 | #8,883 | -5.2% |
| Count | 3,912 | 3,539 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.33 | 1.18 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Geiser bearers went from 3,912 to 3,539 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 440 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,443 to #8,883.
FAQ
Geiser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Geiser?
Name Census estimates that about 4,058 living Americans carry the surname Geiser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,464 residents.
How common is Geiser?
Geiser ranks #8,883 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,539 people with the surname Geiser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,058), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Geiser.
Has Geiser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Geiser went from 3,912 recorded bearers to 3,539. That is a decrease of 373 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,443 to #8,883.
What does the Census say about the background of Geiser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Geiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Geiser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (3,307 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Geiser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Geiser (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 Geiser mean?
A German and Swiss occupational surname referring to someone who casts metal, derived from the German word "giessen," meaning "to pour." 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 Geiser (1.18 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 people have the last name Geiser?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Geiser, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.