2000
#50,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 388
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Gildehaus
A surname that originated from a habitational name for someone from either of two places so named in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 515 Americans carry the last name Gildehaus. That puts it at #50,348 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 665,542 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gildehaus 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
515
1 in 665,542
Census rank
#50,348
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
449
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 449 bearers of the surname Gildehaus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50348th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gildehaus, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.4%) and Hispanic (0.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gildehaus
The surname Gildehaus originated in Germany, likely in the early medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Old German words "gilde," meaning "guild" or "association," and "haus," meaning "house" or "home." This suggests the name may have referred to a residence or meeting place for a particular guild or trade association.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Gildehaus name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the former principality of Anhalt in central Germany, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests the name may have originated in or around this region.
In the 15th century, a man named Hans Gildehaus was documented as a prominent merchant and member of the Hanseatic League in the city of Lübeck, one of the most influential trading centers in northern Europe during the Middle Ages. His success and status within the league indicate the name's potential ties to trade guilds or associations.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, records show the Gildehaus name appearing in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Gildehaus (1550-1620), a respected scholar and theologian at the University of Wittenberg, and Margaretha Gildehaus (1602-1675), a prominent landowner and philanthropist in the town of Erfurt.
In the 18th century, the Gildehaus family established itself in the city of Hamburg, where they were involved in the maritime trade and shipping industry. One notable figure was Joachim Gildehaus (1725-1798), a successful ship owner and merchant who played a role in the city's thriving economic and cultural life.
As the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Gildehauss, Gildehausen, and Gildehuis, reflecting local linguistic and cultural influences.
Throughout its history, the Gildehaus surname has been associated with trade, commerce, and guilds, reflecting its roots in the medieval German guild system. While not as widespread as some other German surnames, it has persisted over centuries and can be found in various regions and contexts throughout German history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gildehaus
Among Census respondents with the surname Gildehaus, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.4%) and Hispanic (0.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gildehaus 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 Gildehaus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 445
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 1
- Two or more races0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gildehaus
Gildehaus 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
#51,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 407
+19 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 604 places
2020
#50,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 449
+42 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 828 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,572 | 388 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #51,176 | 407 | 0.14 | +19 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 604 places |
| 2020 | #50,348 | 449 | 0.15 | +42 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 828 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 Gildehaus 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 | #51,176 | #50,348 | 1.6% |
| Count | 407 | 449 | 10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.15 | 7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gildehaus bearers went from 407 to 449 (+10.3% change). The surname moved up 828 positions in the national ranking, going from #51,176 to #50,348.
FAQ
Gildehaus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gildehaus?
Name Census estimates that about 515 living Americans carry the surname Gildehaus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 665,542 residents.
How common is Gildehaus?
Gildehaus ranks #50,348 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 449 people with the surname Gildehaus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (515), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Gildehaus.
Has Gildehaus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gildehaus went from 407 recorded bearers to 449. That is an increase of 42 (+10.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #51,176 to #50,348.
What does the Census say about the background of Gildehaus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gildehaus, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.4%) and Hispanic (0.2%). 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 Gildehaus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (445 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gildehaus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Black (0.4%), Hispanic (0.2%). 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 Gildehaus (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 Gildehaus mean?
A surname that originated from a habitational name for someone from either of two places so named in Germany. 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 Gildehaus (0.15 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 Americans have the surname Gildehaus?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.