2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gempeler
A surname derived from a German place name referring to a person from Gempen or Gempelen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Gempeler. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gempeler 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Gempeler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gempeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gempeler
The surname Gempeler originates from Germany, likely emerging in the 16th or 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Gempel," which refers to a type of wild rose or a dog rose. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near areas abundant with these particular flowers or worked with them in some capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gempeler surname can be traced back to the town of Gempelen, located in the Rhineland region of Germany. This place name, which shares a similar spelling to the surname, could potentially indicate that the name originated from this specific location or its surrounding areas.
Historical records from the 17th century mention a Johann Gempeler, a prominent merchant and landowner from the town of Gempelen. He was known for his successful trading ventures and contributions to the local economy. Unfortunately, no specific birth or death dates are available for Johann Gempeler.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure named Friedrich Gempeler (1745-1818) gained recognition as a scholar and educator in the city of Cologne. He authored several influential works on philosophy and pedagogy, and his teachings had a significant impact on the education system of the time.
Another notable individual with the Gempeler surname was Katharina Gempeler (1794-1867), a celebrated artist from the town of Düsseldorf. Her intricate landscape paintings and portraits were highly regarded during the Romantic period, and her works can still be found in various art collections across Germany.
During the 19th century, a wealthy industrialist named Heinrich Gempeler (1822-1892) established a successful textile manufacturing business in the city of Aachen. His company played a crucial role in the region's economic growth and provided employment opportunities for many locals.
It is worth noting that variations in the spelling of the surname, such as Gempler or Gempeler, may have existed in different regions or time periods. Additionally, the name could have been associated with specific occupations or locations related to the cultivation or processing of wild roses, though concrete evidence of such connections is limited.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gempeler
Among Census respondents with the surname Gempeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gempeler 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 Gempeler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gempeler
Gempeler appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-9 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,929 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 6,929 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 Gempeler 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 | #147,253 | #154,182 | -4.7% |
| Count | 112 | 103 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gempeler bearers went from 112 to 103 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 6,929 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #154,182.
FAQ
Gempeler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gempeler?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Gempeler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Gempeler?
Gempeler ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Gempeler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Gempeler.
Has Gempeler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gempeler went from 112 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Gempeler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gempeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Gempeler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gempeler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Gempeler (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 Gempeler mean?
A surname derived from a German place name referring to a person from Gempen or Gempelen. 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 Gempeler (0.03 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 common is the surname Gempeler?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Gempeler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.