2000
#56,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 336
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Gessert
Of German origin, a habitational name for someone from a place named with the German word "Gessert" meaning a woodland clearing or pasture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 401 Americans carry the last name Gessert. That puts it at #61,890 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 854,749 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gessert 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
401
1 in 854,749
Census rank
#61,890
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
350
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 350 bearers of the surname Gessert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 61890th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gessert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gessert
The surname Gessert is of German origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, specifically in the town of Geißern. The name is derived from the Old German word "geiz," meaning "goat," which suggests that it may have been an occupational name for a goatherd or someone who raised and tended goats.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gessert can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony dating back to the 12th century. Here, the name is spelled "Geizere," which is likely a variation of the original surname.
In the 14th century, the name Gessert appeared in the Heidelberg Manuscript, a collection of legal documents from the city of Heidelberg. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname had migrated to other parts of Germany by that time.
Notable individuals with the surname Gessert throughout history include Johann Gessert (1556-1616), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another notable figure is Heinrich Gessert (1688-1749), a German composer and organist who was renowned for his works in the Baroque period.
In the 18th century, the name Gessert was associated with the town of Geißert in the region of Hesse, which may have been derived from the earlier spelling of the surname. During this time, a family of Gesserts was known for their involvement in the local wine trade.
Moving forward to the 19th century, we find Johann Friedrich Gessert (1810-1892), a German immigrant to the United States who settled in Missouri and became a prominent farmer and landowner. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various industries across the country.
Another notable figure was Karl Gessert (1875-1942), a German painter and illustrator who was part of the Expressionist movement in the early 20th century. His works are displayed in various art galleries and museums throughout Europe.
Throughout its history, the surname Gessert has had various spellings, including Geizert, Geissert, and Geysert, reflecting the regional variations and linguistic changes over time. While the name may have originated as an occupational surname, it has since taken on a broader meaning and become a part of the cultural heritage of Germany and other regions where its bearers have settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gessert
Among Census respondents with the surname Gessert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gessert 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 Gessert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 326
- Two or more races2.9% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gessert
Gessert 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
#63,218
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 316
-20 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 6,392 places
2020
#61,890
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 350
+34 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 1,328 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,826 | 336 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #63,218 | 316 | 0.11 | -20 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 6,392 places |
| 2020 | #61,890 | 350 | 0.12 | +34 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 1,328 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 Gessert 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 | #63,218 | #61,890 | 2.1% |
| Count | 316 | 350 | 10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.12 | 6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gessert bearers went from 316 to 350 (+10.8% change). The surname moved up 1,328 positions in the national ranking, going from #63,218 to #61,890.
FAQ
Gessert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gessert?
Name Census estimates that about 401 living Americans carry the surname Gessert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 854,749 residents.
How common is Gessert?
Gessert ranks #61,890 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 350 people with the surname Gessert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (401), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Gessert.
Has Gessert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gessert went from 316 recorded bearers to 350. That is an increase of 34 (+10.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #63,218 to #61,890.
What does the Census say about the background of Gessert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gessert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Gessert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (326 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gessert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Gessert (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 Gessert mean?
Of German origin, a habitational name for someone from a place named with the German word "Gessert" meaning a woodland clearing or pasture. 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 Gessert (0.12 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 Gessert?
See how common the surname Gessert is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.