Find out how popular the last name Gies is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gies.

Gies, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gies surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gies in America

Gies is the 16662nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gies surname appeared 1,719 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gies.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gies to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gies

The surname GIES is of German origin, emerging in the Middle Ages around the 13th century. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Giso or Gizo, which itself has roots in the Old High German word "gir," meaning "spear." Historically, this name was prominent in various regions of Germany, particularly in areas like Bavaria and Saxony.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GIES can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval Saxon charters and documents dating back to the 9th century. Here, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Giso," "Gizo," and "Gies."

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Giso von Putlitz (1132-1195) was recorded as a knight and ministerialis (unfree servant) in the service of the Counts of Putlitz in what is now Brandenburg, Germany. His descendants continued to use the name GIES for several generations.

The Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a compilation of historical documents from the Brandenburg region, also contains references to individuals with the surname GIES, dating back to the 13th century. One such example is Henricus Gies, who was mentioned in a document from 1271.

In the 15th century, a notable individual named Johannes Gies (1420-1488) was a Catholic theologian and professor at the University of Cologne. He was known for his contributions to the field of scholastic philosophy and his writings on the works of Thomas Aquinas.

Another prominent figure with the surname GIES was Johann Gies (1542-1612), a German Renaissance painter and engraver from Nuremberg. His works were widely recognized for their intricate details and realistic portrayal of subjects.

The GIES surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Giesau, a municipality in Bavaria, and Giesenhausen, a village in Hesse. These place names may have influenced the spelling and distribution of the surname over time.

While the surname GIES has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the medieval German territories and the individuals who bore this name throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gies

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gies.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gies was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gies has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gies was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gies, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!