2000
#97,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 173
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Gelbach
A surname derived from the German word "gelb" meaning yellow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Gelbach. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gelbach 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Gelbach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gelbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gelbach
The surname Gelbach has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German words "gel" meaning yellow and "bach" meaning stream or brook, suggesting a connection to a geographical feature such as a yellow-colored stream.
The earliest known records of the name Gelbach appear in the 14th century, with mentions in several historical documents from various regions of Germany. One notable reference is found in the Heidelberg Codex, a medieval manuscript dating back to 1389, which lists a certain "Hans Gelbach" among the residents of a small village in the Rhineland region.
Throughout the centuries, the name Gelbach has been associated with several prominent figures. One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Johannes Gelbach, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived in the late 15th century. He is known for his contributions to the study of canon law and his involvement in the intellectual debates of the time.
In the 17th century, a notable military figure named Friedrich Gelbach gained recognition for his service in the Thirty Years' War. He held the rank of colonel and was instrumental in several key battles, earning him a place in the annals of military history.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Gelbach was Johanna Gelbach, a pioneering female artist who lived in the late 18th century. Her works, primarily focused on portraiture and landscapes, were highly regarded during her lifetime and are now part of several prestigious art collections across Europe.
The 19th century saw the rise of Wilhelm Gelbach, a prominent industrialist and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the economic development of his region. His successful business ventures and philanthropic efforts left a lasting impact on the local community.
Over time, the name Gelbach has undergone various spelling variations, such as Gellbach, Gelbbach, and Gelbbach, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of different areas within Germany. Additionally, the name has been associated with several place names, including the village of Gelbbach in Bavaria, which likely derived its name from the same etymological roots as the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gelbach
Among Census respondents with the surname Gelbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gelbach 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 Gelbach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 105
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gelbach
Gelbach 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
-40 bearers (-23.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 30,865 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-20 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #97,384 | 173 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | -40 bearers (-23.1%) | Down 30,865 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 18,972 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 Gelbach 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 | #128,249 | #147,221 | -14.8% |
| Count | 133 | 113 | -15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -24.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gelbach bearers went from 133 to 113 (-15.0% change). The surname moved down 18,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #147,221.
FAQ
Gelbach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gelbach?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Gelbach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Gelbach?
Gelbach ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Gelbach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Gelbach.
Has Gelbach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gelbach went from 133 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Gelbach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gelbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Gelbach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gelbach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Gelbach (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 Gelbach mean?
A surname derived from the German word "gelb" meaning yellow. 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 Gelbach (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 Gelbach?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.