2000
#58,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 323
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Giegerich
An occupational surname derived from the German word for a fiddler or violinist.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 463 Americans carry the last name Giegerich. That puts it at #54,978 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 740,290 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Giegerich 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
463
1 in 740,290
Census rank
#54,978
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
404
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 404 bearers of the surname Giegerich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 54978th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Giegerich, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Giegerich
The surname Giegerich originated in the German states during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic words "giga" meaning "fiddle" or "violin" and "rīchi" meaning "rich" or "powerful", suggesting the name may have initially referred to a skilled or renowned fiddler or musician.
While no definitive records exist from this era, the name is thought to have first appeared in regions like Bavaria and Saxony, where German dialects were prevalent. Variations in spelling, such as Giegerich, Gigerich, and Giegerisch, were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Nuremberg Codex, a German manuscript from the late 15th century, which mentions a "Hans Giegerich" among its entries. Another notable early reference is in the Heidelberg Tax Records of 1487, which lists a "Peter Giegerich" as a resident of the city.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the name was Johann Giegerich (1508-1581), a German theologian and reformer who worked alongside Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was known for his writings and sermons, and his influence extended throughout the German states.
Another notable individual was Franz Giegerich (1789-1866), a German philosopher and writer who authored several works on metaphysics and the nature of consciousness. His ideas were influential in the development of German idealism and inspired later thinkers in the field of philosophy.
In the realm of music, the name gained prominence with the composer and organist Johann Giegerich (1637-1712), who served as the court organist in Dresden and composed numerous sacred and secular works during the Baroque period.
The 19th century saw the birth of Karl Theodor Giegerich (1838-1905), a German physicist and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of mechanics and is credited with developing the first practical gyroscopic compass for maritime navigation.
More recently, the American poet and translator Rufus Giegerich (1921-2002) gained recognition for his translations of works by German and Austrian writers, as well as for his own poetry collections and scholarly writings on literature.
While these are just a few examples, the surname Giegerich has left its mark across various fields throughout history, from religion and philosophy to music and science, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have borne this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Giegerich
Among Census respondents with the surname Giegerich, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Giegerich 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 Giegerich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 381
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Giegerich
Giegerich 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
#58,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 344
+21 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 184 places
2020
#54,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 404
+60 bearers (+17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 3,898 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #58,692 | 323 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #58,876 | 344 | 0.12 | +21 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 184 places |
| 2020 | #54,978 | 404 | 0.14 | +60 bearers (+17.4%) | Up 3,898 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 Giegerich 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 | #58,876 | #54,978 | 6.6% |
| Count | 344 | 404 | 17.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.14 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Giegerich bearers went from 344 to 404 (+17.4% change). The surname moved up 3,898 positions in the national ranking, going from #58,876 to #54,978.
FAQ
Giegerich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Giegerich?
Name Census estimates that about 463 living Americans carry the surname Giegerich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 740,290 residents.
How common is Giegerich?
Giegerich ranks #54,978 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 404 people with the surname Giegerich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (463), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Giegerich.
Has Giegerich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Giegerich went from 344 recorded bearers to 404. That is an increase of 60 (+17.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #58,876 to #54,978.
What does the Census say about the background of Giegerich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Giegerich, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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 Giegerich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (381 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Giegerich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (4.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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 Giegerich (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 Giegerich mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word for a fiddler or violinist. 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 Giegerich (0.14 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 last name Giegerich?
If you just want to know how common the surname Giegerich is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.