2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gerstorff
A German surname derived from a place name containing the elements "gerste" (barley) and "dorf" (village).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Gerstorff. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gerstorff 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Gerstorff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerstorff, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gerstorff
The surname Gerstorff is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas around the city of Hamburg. The name is derived from the Old German words "gerste," meaning "barley," and "dorf," meaning "village," suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have been associated with a village or settlement known for its barley cultivation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gerstorff can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 13th century. In these records, a certain Henricus Gerstorff is mentioned as a landowner in the year 1287.
During the 15th century, the name Gerstorff appeared in various chronicles and records from the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic and defensive alliance of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Johann Gerstorff, a merchant and shipowner from Lübeck, who lived from 1425 to 1489.
In the 16th century, the Gerstorff family gained prominence in the Free Imperial City of Hamburg, where they were involved in maritime trade and held influential positions within the city's governance. One prominent figure was Eberhard Gerstorff (1522-1588), a wealthy merchant and member of the Hamburg City Council.
Moving into the 17th century, the name Gerstorff can be found in various genealogical records and church registers across northern Germany. A notable individual from this time was Caspar Gerstorff (1604-1668), a Lutheran theologian and author from the town of Lüneburg.
In the 18th century, the Gerstorff family continued to play a significant role in the economic and cultural life of Hamburg. Johann Hinrich Gerstorff (1737-1823) was a prominent merchant and shipowner who served as a senator in the city's government.
Throughout its history, the surname Gerstorff has been associated with various place names and spelling variations, such as Gerstorf, Gerstorpe, and Gerstorp, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic variations within Germany. While the name has spread globally through migration and family connections, its roots can be traced back to the northern regions of Germany and the rich heritage of the Hanseatic League.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gerstorff
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerstorff, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gerstorff 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 Gerstorff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino12.6% · 14
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gerstorff
Gerstorff 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,800 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,379 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 7,800 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 7,379 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 Gerstorff 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 | #156,044 | #148,665 | 4.7% |
| Count | 104 | 111 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gerstorff bearers went from 104 to 111 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 7,379 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #148,665.
FAQ
Gerstorff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gerstorff?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Gerstorff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Gerstorff?
Gerstorff ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Gerstorff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Gerstorff.
Has Gerstorff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gerstorff went from 104 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Gerstorff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerstorff, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Gerstorff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gerstorff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Hispanic (12.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Gerstorff (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 Gerstorff mean?
A German surname derived from a place name containing the elements "gerste" (barley) and "dorf" (village). 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 Gerstorff (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 have the surname Gerstorff?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.