2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gessling
A surname of German origins, possibly referring to a person from the village of Geßling.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Gessling. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gessling 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Gessling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gessling, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gessling
The surname GESSLING is of German origin, originating in the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Gäßlein," which translates to "little alley" or "small lane." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in or near a small alley or lane.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GESSLING surname can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the 15th century. In these records, a merchant named Hans GESSLING was mentioned as a resident of the city in the year 1487.
The GESSLING name can also be traced to the town of Geßlingen, located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This town's name is derived from the same root as the surname, and it is possible that some early bearers of the GESSLING name may have originated from this area.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Johann GESSLING (1535-1613) was a Lutheran theologian and writer who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and contributed to the development of Lutheran theology.
Another individual of note was Hans GESSLING (1597-1665), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the city of Nuremberg. His work on legal codes and jurisprudence was highly regarded during his time.
In the 18th century, a German composer and organist named Johann GESSLING (1704-1770) gained recognition for his contributions to sacred music. He served as the organist at the Marienkirche in Lübeck and composed numerous works for organ and choir.
Moving to the 19th century, a German historian named Friedrich GESSLING (1815-1891) made significant contributions to the study of medieval German history. He authored several works on the subject and served as a professor at the University of Greifswald.
Finally, in the early 20th century, a German artist named Erich GESSLING (1888-1965) gained recognition for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting scenes from his native Bavaria. His works are held in several prestigious art collections throughout Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gessling
Among Census respondents with the surname Gessling, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gessling 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 Gessling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gessling
Gessling 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+9 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 312 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,419 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 312 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 6,419 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 Gessling 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 | #145,220 | #151,639 | -4.4% |
| Count | 114 | 107 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gessling bearers went from 114 to 107 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 6,419 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #151,639.
FAQ
Gessling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gessling?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Gessling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Gessling?
Gessling ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Gessling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Gessling.
Has Gessling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gessling went from 114 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Gessling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gessling, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Gessling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gessling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Gessling (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 Gessling mean?
A surname of German origins, possibly referring to a person from the village of Geßling. 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 Gessling (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 Americans have the surname Gessling?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.