2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Giesemann
A Germanic surname derived from a place name, possibly of topographic or occupational origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Giesemann. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Giesemann 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Giesemann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Giesemann, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Giesemann
The surname GIESEMANN is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic personal name "Giso" or "Giso," which means "hostage" or "pledge." This name was popular during the medieval period and was often given to children who were born during times of conflict or political turmoil.
The earliest known records of the name GIESEMANN date back to the 13th century in the region of Saxony, where it was recorded as "Giseman" or "Gisemann." This suggests that the name may have originated from a family or clan that lived in this area during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname GIESEMANN was Johannes Giesemann, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Erfurt in the 15th century. He was known for his successful trading business and his involvement in local politics.
In the 16th century, the name GIESEMANN was also found in various historical records from the regions of Bavaria and Swabia. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled as "Giesman" or "Giesmann."
A notable figure with the surname GIESEMANN was Johann Christoph Giesemann (1669-1737), a German theologian and writer who was born in the town of Arnstadt. He is best known for his work on biblical exegesis and his contributions to the field of hermeneutics.
Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Giesemann (1810-1888), a German painter and lithographer who was born in the city of Düsseldorf. He is known for his detailed landscape paintings and his depictions of rural life in Germany during the 19th century.
In the 19th century, the name GIESEMANN also appeared in various records from the Rhineland region of Germany. One notable individual from this period was Carl Giesemann (1854-1919), a German architect and urban planner who was involved in the design and construction of several notable buildings in the city of Cologne.
Over the centuries, the GIESEMANN surname has also been found in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland, where it was likely introduced by German immigrants or traders.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Giesemann
Among Census respondents with the surname Giesemann, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Giesemann 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 Giesemann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Giesemann
Giesemann 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+20 bearers (+18.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,984 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-17 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,342 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+18.9%) | Up 9,984 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 16,342 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 Giesemann 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 | #133,863 | #150,205 | -12.2% |
| Count | 126 | 109 | -13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Giesemann bearers went from 126 to 109 (-13.5% change). The surname moved down 16,342 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #150,205.
FAQ
Giesemann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Giesemann?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Giesemann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Giesemann?
Giesemann ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Giesemann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Giesemann.
Has Giesemann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Giesemann went from 126 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Giesemann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Giesemann, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Giesemann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Giesemann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (4.6%), Black (1.8%). 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 Giesemann (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 Giesemann mean?
A Germanic surname derived from a place name, possibly of topographic or occupational origin. 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 Giesemann (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 have the last name Giesemann?
You can see how many people are called Giesemann on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.