2000
#9,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,066
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Gillenwater
Americanized form of German Gillenwaßer, denoting someone living near a noisy stream, from Middle High German gilles "noisy" and waßer "water".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,326 Americans carry the last name Gillenwater. That puts it at #10,549 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,053 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gillenwater 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
3.3K
1 in 103,053
Census rank
#10,549
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,900 bearers of the surname Gillenwater in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10549th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillenwater, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gillenwater
The surname Gillenwater has its origins in the German language, derived from the older spelling "Gilgenwater" or "Gilgenwatre." It is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century in the region of Bavaria, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. The name is thought to be a combination of the German words "gilge," meaning "bell," and "watre," meaning "water" or "stream."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in a medieval document from the town of Augsburg, dated around 1285. This document refers to a family by the name of "Gilgenwatre," who were landowners in the area. It is likely that the name was initially associated with a specific location or property near a body of water where bells could be heard, such as a church or monastery.
By the 16th century, the name had spread to other regions of Germany, as well as parts of Austria and Switzerland. Historical records from this period show variations in spelling, including "Gilgenwater," "Gilgenwaeter," and "Gillenwasser." One notable individual from this time was Hans Gilgenwater, a merchant and alderman in the city of Nuremberg, who lived from approximately 1520 to 1587.
As German settlers began to migrate to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the name Gillenwater traveled with them. In the early 18th century, a family by the name of Gillenwater settled in the colony of Pennsylvania, where they anglicized the spelling to its current form. One of the earliest known bearers of the name in America was Johann Gillenwater, who was born in 1712 and served as a soldier during the French and Indian War.
Throughout the centuries, the Gillenwater name has been associated with various notable individuals, including:
1. William Gillenwater (1768-1846), an American farmer and Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia.
2. Mary Gillenwater (1826-1908), a pioneer and midwife who helped establish the town of Gillenwater, Kansas.
3. Johann Gillenwater (1841-1912), a German-American artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
4. Robert Gillenwater (1890-1968), a British author and historian who wrote extensively about the Norman conquest of England.
5. Anna Gillenwater (1920-2005), an Austrian opera singer and soprano who performed with the Vienna State Opera.
While the surname Gillenwater is not among the most common, it has a rich history that spans multiple countries and centuries, reflecting the diverse journeys and contributions of those who have borne this name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gillenwater
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillenwater, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gillenwater 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 Gillenwater surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 2,557
- Black or African American4.9% · 143
- Two or more races3.6% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gillenwater
Gillenwater 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
#10,545
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,041
-25 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 816 places
2020
#10,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,900
-141 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,729 | 3,066 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,545 | 3,041 | 1.03 | -25 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 816 places |
| 2020 | #10,549 | 2,900 | 0.97 | -141 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 4 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 Gillenwater 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 | #10,545 | #10,549 | -0.0% |
| Count | 3,041 | 2,900 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.97 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gillenwater bearers went from 3,041 to 2,900 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,545 to #10,549.
FAQ
Gillenwater surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gillenwater?
Name Census estimates that about 3,326 living Americans carry the surname Gillenwater. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,053 residents.
How common is Gillenwater?
Gillenwater ranks #10,549 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 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 2,900 people with the surname Gillenwater. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,326), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 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 Gillenwater.
Has Gillenwater become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gillenwater went from 3,041 recorded bearers to 2,900. That is a decrease of 141 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,545 to #10,549.
What does the Census say about the background of Gillenwater?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillenwater, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Gillenwater in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (2,557 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gillenwater appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Black (4.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Gillenwater (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 Gillenwater mean?
Americanized form of German Gillenwaßer, denoting someone living near a noisy stream, from Middle High German gilles "noisy" and waßer "water". 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 Gillenwater (0.97 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 surname Gillenwater?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.