2000
#111,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Geisman
A German surname, perhaps relating to a person who played the harp.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Geisman. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Geisman 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Geisman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Geisman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Geisman
The surname Geisman is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. This name is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was initially spelled as "Geismann" or "Geissman." The name itself is derived from the Old German word "geiz," which means "goat," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been herders or farmers associated with goats or goat husbandry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Geisman name can be found in the Bavarian town of Augsburg, where a certain Heinricus Geissman was mentioned in a legal document dated 1357. This record provides evidence of the name's existence during the 14th century and its connection to the Bavarian region.
In the 16th century, the Geisman name appeared in the town of Nuremberg, where a prominent family bearing this surname made significant contributions to the local community. Johannes Geisman (1492-1556) was a respected merchant and civic leader, while his son, Christoph Geisman (1521-1591), was a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Heidelberg.
During the 17th century, the Geisman name spread beyond Bavaria to other parts of Germany. In the town of Wittenberg, a notable figure was Georg Geisman (1635-1701), a Lutheran minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.
Another notable individual with the Geisman surname was Johann Geisman (1712-1783), a German composer and organist who lived in the city of Leipzig. His compositions for organ and church music were highly regarded during his lifetime and contributed to the rich musical tradition of the region.
In the 19th century, the Geisman name found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. One prominent figure was Wilhelm Geisman (1818-1892), a German-born engineer who immigrated to the United States and played a crucial role in the construction of several major railroads and bridges in the American West.
Throughout its history, the Geisman surname has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, commerce, academia, religion, and engineering. While its origins can be traced back to Bavaria and the Old German word for "goat," the name has transcended its humble beginnings and left an indelible mark in various fields across different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Geisman
Among Census respondents with the surname Geisman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Geisman 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 Geisman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Geisman
Geisman 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
#118,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,113 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-31 bearers (-21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,904 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,740 | 146 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,853 | 146 | 0.05 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 7,113 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -31 bearers (-21.2%) | Down 26,904 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 Geisman 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 | #118,853 | #145,757 | -22.6% |
| Count | 146 | 115 | -21.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Geisman bearers went from 146 to 115 (-21.2% change). The surname moved down 26,904 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,853 to #145,757.
FAQ
Geisman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Geisman?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Geisman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Geisman?
Geisman ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Geisman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Geisman.
Has Geisman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Geisman went from 146 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 31 (-21.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,853 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Geisman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Geisman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Geisman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Geisman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Geisman (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 Geisman mean?
A German surname, perhaps relating to a person who played the harp. 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 Geisman (0.04 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 share the surname Geisman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.