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

Geller, 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 Geller surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Geller in America

Geller is the 5139th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Geller surname appeared 6,810 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 Geller.

We can also compare 2010 data for Geller 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 Geller

The surname Geller is derived from the German occupational name "Geller" or "Gellner," which means "bell maker" or "bell founder." This name originated in the German-speaking regions of Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Geller can be traced back to the 13th century in various German-language records and chronicles. One notable example is the mention of a "Heinrich der Geller" in the city of Nuremberg in 1289. This suggests that the profession of bell making was established and recognized at that time.

As the name Geller spread across German-speaking lands, it often took on local variations in spelling, such as Gellner, Gellert, or Gellert. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the names of towns or regions where bell makers lived and worked.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Geller surname appears in various historical records, including tax rolls and guild documents. For instance, a bell maker named Hans Geller is mentioned in a guild register in the city of Augsburg, dating back to 1427.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Geller was Johann Geller, a renowned bell founder born in Nuremberg in 1486. He crafted numerous bells for churches and municipalities throughout Germany and neighboring regions.

Another notable figure was Georg Geller (1590-1645), a German Protestant theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg. His writings and teachings had a significant impact on the intellectual discourse of his time.

In the 18th century, the Geller surname gained prominence in the field of metalworking and bell casting. Johann Christoph Geller (1707-1786), a master bell founder from Saxony, was renowned for his exceptional craftsmanship and contributed to the development of bell-making techniques.

As the surname spread across Europe and beyond, it also became associated with other professions and areas of expertise. For instance, Uri Geller (born 1946) is an Israeli-British illusionist and self-proclaimed psychic, known for his alleged ability to bend spoons and other metal objects through "mind power."

Throughout its history, the surname Geller has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, and public figures, all tracing their roots back to the skilled bell makers of medieval Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Geller

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

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

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

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