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

Geist, 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 Geist surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Geist in America

Geist is the 5802nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Geist surname appeared 5,966 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Geist.

We can also compare 2010 data for Geist 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 Geist

The surname Geist has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the early 13th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "geist," which means "spirit" or "ghost." The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who exhibited eccentric or otherworldly behavior.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Geist surname can be found in the municipal records of the city of Cologne, where a certain Heinrich Geist is mentioned in 1284. During the 14th and 15th centuries, variations of the name, such as Geyst and Gheist, were also documented in various parts of Germany.

In the 16th century, the Geist name appeared in several historical documents, including the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, which contains charters and deeds from the region of Brandenburg. Here, a Johannes Geist is mentioned in relation to a land transaction in 1532.

The Geist surname has been associated with notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Johann Geist (1532-1598), a German Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Reformation in Saxony. Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Friedrich Geist (1756-1794), a German poet and writer who was part of the Sturm und Drang literary movement.

In the 19th century, the name Geist gained further prominence with individuals like Wilhelm Geist (1808-1868), a German philosopher and writer who made significant contributions to the field of aesthetics. Additionally, there was Karl Geist (1859-1935), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities.

Another noteworthy bearer of the Geist surname was Gustav Geist (1879-1943), a German politician who served as a member of the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic. He was also a vocal opponent of the Nazi regime and was eventually imprisoned in a concentration camp.

Throughout history, the Geist surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Geistingen, a town in the German state of Hesse, and Geistfeld, a municipality in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. These place names likely derived from the surname itself or from the Old High German word "geist."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Geist

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

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

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

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