2000
#65,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 281
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Gettelfinger
A German surname indicating one who twists or spins cotton thread.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 312 Americans carry the last name Gettelfinger. That puts it at #76,236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,098,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gettelfinger 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
312
1 in 1,098,572
Census rank
#76,236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
272
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 272 bearers of the surname Gettelfinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 76236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gettelfinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gettelfinger
The surname Gettelfinger has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the Palatinate region, specifically in the towns of Niederkirchen and Böchingen. The name is derived from the German words "gett" meaning "to get" and "finger" meaning "finger," suggesting a possible occupational origin related to a profession involving acquiring or grabbing things with the fingers.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Gettelfinger name can be found in the church records of Niederkirchen from the year 1568, where a Hans Gettelfinger is listed as a resident. In the nearby town of Böchingen, the name appears in records from the 1590s, with variations such as Gettelffinger and Gettelfinger.
During the 17th century, the Gettelfinger family spread to other parts of Germany, including the regions of Württemberg and Baden. In the 1620s, a Johann Gettelfinger from Niederkirchen is recorded as having settled in the town of Eberbach in Baden. This branch of the family continued to use variations of the spelling, such as Gettelffinger and Göttelfinger.
One notable individual bearing the Gettelfinger name was Johann Georg Gettelfinger (1677-1744), a German composer and organist from Böchingen. He served as the organist at the Collegiate Church of St. Gumbert in Ansbach and composed several works for organ and church services.
Another historically significant figure was Philipp Gettelfinger (1810-1892), a German-American architect and builder. Born in Niederkirchen, he emigrated to the United States in the 1830s and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. Gettelfinger designed and constructed numerous buildings, including churches, schools, and residential homes, in the Cincinnati area and throughout the Midwest.
In the 19th century, the Gettelfinger name also appeared in other parts of Europe, such as Austria and Switzerland. One example is Karl Gettelfinger (1872-1949), a Swiss architect and civil engineer who was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in Zurich and other Swiss cities.
Another notable individual was August Gettelfinger (1861-1941), a German-American businessman and entrepreneur. Born in Niederkirchen, he emigrated to the United States in the 1880s and established a successful brewing company in St. Louis, Missouri, called the Gettelfinger Brewing Company.
The Gettelfinger surname has also been found in historical records from other countries, such as France and England, likely due to migration and intermarriage with families from German-speaking regions. However, the name's roots can be traced back to the Palatinate region of Germany, where it originated several centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gettelfinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Gettelfinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gettelfinger 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 Gettelfinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.6% · 271
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gettelfinger
Gettelfinger 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
#66,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 298
+17 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 509 places
2020
#76,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 272
-26 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 9,865 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #65,862 | 281 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #66,371 | 298 | 0.10 | +17 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 509 places |
| 2020 | #76,236 | 272 | 0.09 | -26 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 9,865 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 Gettelfinger 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 | #66,371 | #76,236 | -14.9% |
| Count | 298 | 272 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.09 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gettelfinger bearers went from 298 to 272 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 9,865 positions in the national ranking, going from #66,371 to #76,236.
FAQ
Gettelfinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gettelfinger?
Name Census estimates that about 312 living Americans carry the surname Gettelfinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,098,572 residents.
How common is Gettelfinger?
Gettelfinger ranks #76,236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 272 people with the surname Gettelfinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (312), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Gettelfinger.
Has Gettelfinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gettelfinger went from 298 recorded bearers to 272. That is a decrease of 26 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #66,371 to #76,236.
What does the Census say about the background of Gettelfinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gettelfinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Gettelfinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.6% (271 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gettelfinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Gettelfinger (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 Gettelfinger mean?
A German surname indicating one who twists or spins cotton thread. 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 Gettelfinger (0.09 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 Gettelfinger?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.