2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Getzin
A German surname derived from a Germanic personal name or occupational term related to metalworking.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Getzin. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Getzin 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Getzin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Getzin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Getzin
The surname GETZIN originated in Germany during the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "getz," meaning "goat," and the suffix "-in," denoting possession or association. Thus, GETZIN likely referred to someone who owned or tended goats, or perhaps lived in an area known for goat herding.
Records indicate the name GETZIN first appeared in the 13th century in the region of Saxony, where various spellings such as Getzen, Getzin, and Getzyn were documented in local parish registers and tax rolls. One of the earliest recorded instances was a Hermann Getzin, mentioned in a 1267 land deed from the town of Meissen.
During the 14th century, the GETZIN name spread to other parts of Germany, including Bavaria and Pomerania. In 1392, a Hans Getzin was listed as a burgher (citizen) of the city of Nuremberg. Meanwhile, in 1421, a Claus Getzyn was recorded as a tenant farmer in the village of Stettin, now part of modern-day Poland.
By the 16th century, the GETZIN surname had become well-established throughout central and eastern Germany. Notable individuals bearing the name during this period include Johannes Getzin (1509-1578), a respected Lutheran theologian and author of several religious texts, and Katharina Getzin (1532-1604), a prominent businesswoman and landowner in the city of Leipzig.
As Germany experienced significant migration in the 17th and 18th centuries, the GETZIN surname spread to other regions of Europe and beyond. In 1642, a Hans Getzin was among the first German settlers to establish a colony in what is now Delaware, United States. Later, in 1783, a Johann Getzin was recorded as a merchant in the Austrian city of Graz.
Other notable individuals with the GETZIN surname throughout history include:
1. Wilhelm Getzin (1790-1864), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
2. Anna Getzin (1818-1892), a German-American pioneer and landowner in the state of Wisconsin.
3. Friedrich Getzin (1865-1932), a German architect known for designing several prominent buildings in Berlin.
4. Erich Getzin (1904-1988), a German-born American chemist who made significant contributions to the development of synthetic rubber.
5. Ilse Getzin (1919-2003), a German-born artist and sculptor whose works were exhibited across Europe and the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Getzin
Among Census respondents with the surname Getzin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Getzin 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 Getzin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 5
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Getzin
Getzin 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-14 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,614 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 21,614 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,225 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 Getzin 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 | #147,253 | #145,028 | 1.5% |
| Count | 112 | 116 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Getzin bearers went from 112 to 116 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,225 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #145,028.
FAQ
Getzin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Getzin?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Getzin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Getzin?
Getzin ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Getzin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Getzin.
Has Getzin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Getzin went from 112 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Getzin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Getzin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Getzin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Getzin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Getzin (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 Getzin mean?
A German surname derived from a Germanic personal name or occupational term related to metalworking. 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 Getzin (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 people are called Getzin?
See how many Americans have the surname Getzin on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.