2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Gemperle
A surname derived from a German diminutive form of the personal name Gennaro.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Gemperle. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gemperle 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Gemperle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gemperle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gemperle
The surname "GEMPERLE" is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the early 16th century. It is derived from the German word "gemper," which refers to a type of wild cat or weasel. This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with cat-like or weasel-like characteristics.
The earliest known record of the name "GEMPERLE" appears in a church register from the town of Esslingen in southern Germany, dated 1521. This entry documents the baptism of a child named Hans Gemperle. Over the following centuries, the name spread across various regions of Germany, with slight variations in spelling, such as "Gempperle" or "Gemperlin."
One notable individual bearing this surname was Johann Gemperle, a German theologian and scholar who lived from 1573 to 1638. He authored several works on theology and philosophy, and served as a professor at the University of Tübingen. Another historical figure was Cäcilia Gemperle, a 17th-century German artist known for her intricate woodcarvings and religious sculptures.
In the 18th century, the name "GEMPERLE" appeared in records from the town of Kirchheim unter Teck in Baden-Württemberg, where a family of weavers and artisans bearing this surname resided. One member of this family, Hans Georg Gemperle (1721-1793), gained recognition for his masterful tapestry work and contributions to the local textile industry.
As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, it also found its way into various place names. For instance, there is a small hamlet called Gemperle near the town of Biberach an der Riss in southern Germany, which may have derived its name from a local family or landowner with the surname "GEMPERLE."
Other notable individuals with this surname include Karl Gemperle (1819-1892), a German-American painter and lithographer who immigrated to the United States and settled in New York City, where he gained recognition for his landscape and portrait works. Additionally, there was Wilhelm Gemperle (1868-1942), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings and public spaces in the city of Stuttgart.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gemperle
Among Census respondents with the surname Gemperle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gemperle 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 Gemperle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 92
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gemperle
Gemperle 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
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,030 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 4,030 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 Gemperle 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 | #159,712 | #155,682 | 2.5% |
| Count | 101 | 100 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gemperle bearers went from 101 to 100 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,030 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #155,682.
FAQ
Gemperle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gemperle?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Gemperle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Gemperle?
Gemperle ranks #155,682 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 100 people with the surname Gemperle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), 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 Gemperle.
Has Gemperle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gemperle went from 101 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Gemperle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gemperle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Gemperle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gemperle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Gemperle (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 Gemperle mean?
A surname derived from a German diminutive form of the personal name Gennaro. 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 Gemperle (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 many people are called Gemperle?
Find out how many people have the last name Gemperle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.