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

Gelatt, 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 Gelatt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gelatt in America

Gelatt is the 68345th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gelatt surname appeared 288 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 Gelatt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gelatt 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 Gelatt

The surname Gelatt has its origins in the German language, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the German word "gelten," which means "to be valid" or "to be worth." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a person's occupation, status, or reputation.

The earliest known record of the name Gelatt can be found in the German town of Heidelberg, where a man named Hans Gelatt was mentioned in municipal records from the late 15th century. This indicates that the name had already established roots in the region by that time.

In the 16th century, the Gelatt surname began to spread across various parts of Europe, particularly in the Germanic regions. One notable individual was Johann Gelatt, a prominent merchant in the city of Augsburg, who lived from 1520 to 1589. His successful trading ventures likely contributed to the recognition of the family name.

As people migrated to different parts of the world, the surname Gelatt found its way to other countries, including the British Isles. In England, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Gellatt, Gellott, and Gellette, reflecting the linguistic variations that occurred during the transition from German to English.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in England can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a certain William Gellatt was mentioned in the late 17th century. This suggests that the Gelatt family had established a presence in the region by that time.

Another notable figure bearing the Gelatt surname was Sir John Gelatt, a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1780 and passed away in 1856. His distinguished service and contributions to the British Army likely brought further recognition to the family name.

As the Gelatt family continued to spread across different parts of the world, the name took on various spellings and adaptations. In the United States, for instance, the surname is sometimes spelled as Gelatt, Gellatt, or Gellette, reflecting the influence of different regional dialects and immigration patterns.

One prominent American figure with the surname Gelatt was Benjamin Gelatt, a successful businessman and philanthropist from Philadelphia. He lived from 1828 to 1901 and was known for his contributions to various charitable causes, including the establishment of several educational institutions.

Overall, the surname Gelatt has a rich history that spans multiple countries and cultures, reflecting the diverse paths taken by families bearing this name throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gelatt

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

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

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

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