2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Germinal
A surname derived from the French word "germer" meaning "to sprout or germinate".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 182 Americans carry the last name Germinal. That puts it at #116,252 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,883,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Germinal 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
182
1 in 1,883,266
Census rank
#116,252
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
159
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 159 bearers of the surname Germinal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 116252nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Germinal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Germinal
The surname "GERMINAL" is of French origin and dates back to the late 18th century. It is derived from the French word "germinal," which refers to the seventh month of the French Republican calendar, introduced during the French Revolution in 1793. This month's name was inspired by the Latin word "germen," meaning "bud" or "sprout," reflecting the spring season.
The earliest known record of the surname "GERMINAL" appears in official documents from the French Revolutionary period, such as birth, marriage, and death registers. It is believed that the name was adopted by individuals who celebrated the ideals of the French Revolution or were born during the month of Germinal (March 21 to April 19).
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the case of Pierre Germinal, a French revolutionary and politician born in 1768. He was an active member of the Jacobin Club and served as a deputy in the National Convention during the French Revolution.
Another notable figure bearing the surname "GERMINAL" was Louis Germinal (1799-1872), a French writer and journalist. He was known for his works on political and social issues, reflecting the revolutionary spirit of his time.
In the 19th century, the name "GERMINAL" appeared in various literary works, such as Émile Zola's novel "Germinal," published in 1885. The novel depicts the harsh living conditions of coal miners in northern France and their struggle for better working conditions, further cementing the connection between the name and the revolutionary ideals of the French Republic.
A prominent figure with the surname "GERMINAL" was Marie Germinal (1856-1936), a French feminist and activist. She was a co-founder of the French Union for Women's Suffrage and played a significant role in the fight for women's rights in France.
Another notable individual was Jacques Germinal (1912-1998), a French philosopher and writer. He authored several works on existentialism and was influenced by the works of Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus.
While the surname "GERMINAL" is relatively uncommon, it holds a significant place in French history and culture, representing the revolutionary spirit and ideals of the French Republic.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Germinal
Among Census respondents with the surname Germinal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Germinal 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 Germinal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American90.6% · 144
- White3.1% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Germinal
Germinal 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
#116,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
+59 bearers (+59.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 44,723 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #116,252 | 159 | 0.05 | +59 bearers (+59.0%) | Up 44,723 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 Germinal 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 | #160,975 | #116,252 | 27.8% |
| Count | 100 | 159 | 59.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.05 | 77.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Germinal bearers went from 100 to 159 (+59.0% change). The surname moved up 44,723 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #116,252.
FAQ
Germinal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Germinal?
Name Census estimates that about 182 living Americans carry the surname Germinal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,883,266 residents.
How common is Germinal?
Germinal ranks #116,252 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 159 people with the surname Germinal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Germinal.
Has Germinal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Germinal went from 100 recorded bearers to 159. That is an increase of 59 (+59.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #116,252.
What does the Census say about the background of Germinal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Germinal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Germinal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (144 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Germinal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (90.6%), White (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Germinal (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 Germinal mean?
A surname derived from the French word "germer" meaning "to sprout or germinate". 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 Germinal (0.05 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 Germinal?
Want to know how many people are called Germinal? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.