2000
#4,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,694
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.85
Rare Last name
Getz
Derived from the German nickname "Götz," referring to a person from Göttingen or a Visigothic or Gothic person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,502 Americans carry the last name Getz. That puts it at #4,635 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,315 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Getz 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
8.5K
1 in 40,315
Census rank
#4,635
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,414 bearers of the surname Getz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4635th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Getz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Getz
The surname Getz is of German origin, derived from the medieval personal name Gottschalk, which was composed of the Old German elements "Gott" meaning "God" and "scalc" meaning "servant" or "retainer." This name was widespread in various parts of Germany during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval German records and documents. One notable example is the mention of a Gottschalk von Hagen in a 13th-century manuscript from the Rhineland region of Germany. Additionally, the Getz surname is believed to have connections to various place names in Germany, such as Getzsau and Getzau.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Getz surname began to appear more frequently in various regions of Germany. One notable individual from this period was Johann Getz, a German composer and organist born in Wertheim in 1591. He was known for his contributions to the development of Protestant church music.
In the 18th century, the Getz surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Switzerland and France. One notable figure from this era was Jean-Baptiste Getz, a French painter born in Calais in 1767. He specialized in portraiture and historical paintings, and his works can be found in various museums across France.
As the 19th century dawned, the Getz surname continued to gain prominence in various fields. One notable individual was Eduard Getz, a German botanist and explorer born in Calbe in 1838. He conducted extensive research on the flora of South America and made significant contributions to the field of plant taxonomy.
Another notable figure from the 19th century was Stanislaus Getz, a Polish-American engineer and inventor born in Warsaw in 1856. He is best known for his pioneering work in the field of wireless telegraphy and his contributions to the development of early radio technology.
In the 20th century, the Getz surname continued to be represented in various fields. One notable individual was Stan Getz, an American jazz saxophonist born in Philadelphia in 1927. He was a leading figure in the cool jazz movement and is widely regarded as one of the most influential saxophonists of his time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Getz
Among Census respondents with the surname Getz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Getz 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 Getz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 6,886
- Two or more races3.1% · 230
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 180
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 46
- Black or African American0.5% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Getz
Getz 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
#4,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,703
+9 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 2.61
Rank movement Down 342 places
2020
#4,635
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,414
-289 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.48
Rank movement Down 30 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,263 | 7,694 | 2.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,605 | 7,703 | 2.61 | +9 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 342 places |
| 2020 | #4,635 | 7,414 | 2.48 | -289 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 30 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 Getz 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 | #4,605 | #4,635 | -0.7% |
| Count | 7,703 | 7,414 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.61 | 2.48 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Getz bearers went from 7,703 to 7,414 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 30 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,605 to #4,635.
FAQ
Getz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Getz?
Name Census estimates that about 8,502 living Americans carry the surname Getz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,315 residents.
How common is Getz?
Getz ranks #4,635 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,414 people with the surname Getz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,502), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Getz.
Has Getz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Getz went from 7,703 recorded bearers to 7,414. That is a decrease of 289 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,605 to #4,635.
What does the Census say about the background of Getz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Getz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Getz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (6,886 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Getz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Getz (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 Getz mean?
Derived from the German nickname "Götz," referring to a person from Göttingen or a Visigothic or Gothic person. 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 Getz (2.48 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 Getz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.