2000
#14,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,840
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Giesler
A locational surname from places named for a stream or creek.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,103 Americans carry the last name Giesler. That puts it at #15,395 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,984 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Giesler 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
2.1K
1 in 162,984
Census rank
#15,395
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,834 bearers of the surname Giesler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15395th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Giesler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Giesler
The surname Giesler is of German origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It originated in the regions of southern Germany, particularly Bavaria and Swabia. The name is derived from the Old High German word "gisal," meaning "hostage" or "pledge."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Giesler can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the Kingdom of Saxony. The document, dated 1242, mentions a "Giselherus de Reinheim," likely referring to an individual named Giesler from the town of Reinheim.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Hans Giesler was a prominent merchant and guild master in the city of Augsburg. His name appears in several municipal records from that period, showcasing the early presence of the Giesler surname in urban centers of southern Germany.
The name Giesler has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For instance, the village of Gieselersdorf in Austria was once known as "Gisalhartesdorf," potentially referring to a settlement founded or owned by an individual with the surname Giesler.
In the 16th century, a prominent theologian and reformer named Johann Giesler (1492-1557) made significant contributions to the Protestant Reformation in Germany. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a crucial role in the spread of Lutheran teachings.
Another notable figure was Johann Caspar Giesler (1676-1755), a German architect and master builder who was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in the Baroque style, including the Baroque Palace in Ansbach, Germany.
During the 19th century, a German philosopher and theologian named Johann Karl Ludwig Giesler (1792-1854) gained recognition for his works on church history and Christian ethics. His influential writings shaped the discourse on religious and philosophical matters in German academia.
In more recent times, the name Giesler has been associated with individuals such as Theodor Giesler (1900-1973), a German architect and urban planner who worked on various projects during the Nazi regime in Germany.
While the surname Giesler may have evolved and spread across different regions over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in southern Germany, where it likely emerged as a descriptive name or occupational designation related to the concept of hostages or pledges.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Giesler
Among Census respondents with the surname Giesler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Giesler 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 Giesler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 1,718
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 52
- Two or more races2.5% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Giesler
Giesler 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
#15,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,872
+32 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 812 places
2020
#15,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,834
-38 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 216 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,799 | 1,840 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,611 | 1,872 | 0.63 | +32 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 812 places |
| 2020 | #15,395 | 1,834 | 0.61 | -38 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 216 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 Giesler 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 | #15,611 | #15,395 | 1.4% |
| Count | 1,872 | 1,834 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.61 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Giesler bearers went from 1,872 to 1,834 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 216 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,611 to #15,395.
FAQ
Giesler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Giesler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,103 living Americans carry the surname Giesler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,984 residents.
How common is Giesler?
Giesler ranks #15,395 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,834 people with the surname Giesler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,103), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Giesler.
Has Giesler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Giesler went from 1,872 recorded bearers to 1,834. That is a decrease of 38 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,611 to #15,395.
What does the Census say about the background of Giesler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Giesler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Giesler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (1,718 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Giesler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Giesler (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 Giesler mean?
A locational surname from places named for a stream or creek. 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 Giesler (0.61 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 Giesler?
Find out how common the surname Giesler is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.