2000
#43,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 473
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Gettis
From an English surname stemming from a pet form of Gerard, originally a German personal name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 602 Americans carry the last name Gettis. That puts it at #44,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 569,359 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gettis 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
602
1 in 569,359
Census rank
#44,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
525
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 525 bearers of the surname Gettis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gettis, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Black (47.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gettis
The surname GETTIS is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "geat," meaning "gate" or "opening," suggesting an association with individuals who lived near a gate or worked as gatekeepers.
In the early days, the name was primarily concentrated in the eastern counties of England, such as Norfolk and Suffolk, where many variations of the spelling, including Gettys, Gettyes, and Gettis, were found in local records and parish registers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GETTIS can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Godric Gettis was listed as a landowner in Norfolk. This historical document provides valuable insight into the prevalence and distribution of surnames during the Norman conquest of England.
As time passed, the GETTIS family branched out and established themselves in various parts of England. In the 13th century, records show a John Gettis residing in Lincolnshire, while a Thomas Gettis was documented in Yorkshire during the same period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the GETTIS surname. One such figure was Sir Robert Gettis (1592-1665), a renowned military commander who served in the English Civil War and played a crucial role in the battles of Marston Moor and Naseby.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Elizabeth Gettis (1680-1747), a philanthropist and benefactor who contributed significantly to the establishment of educational institutions in her hometown of Bristol.
In the realm of literature, the name GETTIS is associated with the 19th-century poet and author, William Gettis (1815-1892), whose works explored themes of nature and the human condition.
The GETTIS surname has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Gettis Green in Shropshire and Gettis Lane in Oxfordshire, further highlighting its deep-rooted connection to the local geography and history.
Over the centuries, the GETTIS family has left an indelible mark on various aspects of English society, from military service and philanthropy to literature and the arts, solidifying their place in the rich tapestry of the nation's heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gettis
Among Census respondents with the surname Gettis, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Black (47.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gettis 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 Gettis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White49.0% · 257
- Black or African American47.4% · 249
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 9
- Two or more races1.7% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gettis
Gettis 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
#46,138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 462
-11 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 3,080 places
2020
#44,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 525
+63 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 2,003 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,058 | 473 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #46,138 | 462 | 0.16 | -11 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 3,080 places |
| 2020 | #44,135 | 525 | 0.18 | +63 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 2,003 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 Gettis 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 | #46,138 | #44,135 | 4.3% |
| Count | 462 | 525 | 13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.18 | 9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gettis bearers went from 462 to 525 (+13.6% change). The surname moved up 2,003 positions in the national ranking, going from #46,138 to #44,135.
FAQ
Gettis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gettis?
Name Census estimates that about 602 living Americans carry the surname Gettis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 569,359 residents.
How common is Gettis?
Gettis ranks #44,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 525 people with the surname Gettis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (602), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Gettis.
Has Gettis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gettis went from 462 recorded bearers to 525. That is an increase of 63 (+13.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #46,138 to #44,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Gettis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gettis, the largest self-reported group is White at 49.0%. The next largest groups are Black (47.4%) 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 Gettis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.0% (257 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gettis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (49.0%), Black (47.4%), 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 Gettis (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 Gettis mean?
From an English surname stemming from a pet form of Gerard, originally a German personal name. 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 Gettis (0.18 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 Gettis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.