2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Giesman
A German surname derived from a place name containing the element "gies" meaning "torrent" or "stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Giesman. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Giesman 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Giesman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Giesman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Giesman
The surname Giesman has its origins in the German language, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
One theory suggests that the name Giesman is derived from the Old High German word "gies," which means "stream" or "gushing water." This etymology points to the possibility that the name may have been originally given to someone who lived near a stream or a river.
Another hypothesis proposes that the name is a combination of the German words "Gies" and "Mann," which would translate to "stream man" or "man of the stream." This theory further reinforces the connection between the name and geographic features related to water bodies.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Giesman can be found in a document from the town of Nürnberg, dated 1532. This document mentions a certain Hans Giesman, who was a merchant and a respected member of the local community.
In the 17th century, the name Giesman appeared in several church records and tax registers in the region of Swabia, located in present-day southwestern Germany. One notable individual from this period was Johann Giesman (1623-1695), a prominent theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Esslingen.
During the 18th century, the name Giesman spread to other parts of Europe, primarily due to migration and trade. In 1746, a man named Jakob Giesman (1712-1788) was born in the town of Überlingen, located on the shores of Lake Constance. He went on to become a successful merchant and contributed to the local economy.
Another significant figure bearing the surname Giesman was Friedrich Giesman (1802-1879), a German philosopher and educator born in the city of Stuttgart. He was known for his work in the field of ethics and his contributions to educational reforms.
In the 19th century, the name Giesman also gained prominence in the United States, where it was brought by German immigrants seeking new opportunities. One such individual was Wilhelm Giesman (1835-1912), who emigrated from Bavaria to Ohio in the 1860s and became a prosperous farmer.
Throughout its history, the surname Giesman has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, theologians, philosophers, educators, and farmers. While the exact origins of the name remain debated, its connection to water bodies and geographic features is a common thread among the various theories.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Giesman
Among Census respondents with the surname Giesman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Giesman 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 Giesman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.1% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Giesman
Giesman 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-11 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,776 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-8 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,360 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 19,776 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 5,360 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 Giesman 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 | #149,395 | #154,755 | -3.6% |
| Count | 110 | 102 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Giesman bearers went from 110 to 102 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 5,360 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #154,755.
FAQ
Giesman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Giesman?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Giesman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Giesman?
Giesman ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Giesman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Giesman.
Has Giesman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Giesman went from 110 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Giesman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Giesman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Giesman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Giesman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.1%), Hispanic (2.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Giesman (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 Giesman mean?
A German surname derived from a place name containing the element "gies" meaning "torrent" or "stream." 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 Giesman (0.03 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 share the surname Giesman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.