Find out how popular the last name Gimbel is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gimbel.

Gimbel, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gimbel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gimbel in America

Gimbel is the 19223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gimbel surname appeared 1,412 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gimbel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gimbel to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gimbel

The surname GIMBEL is of German origin, originating in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word 'gimbal' or 'gimbel', which means a small hinge or pivot, referring to the occupation of a hinge maker or locksmith.

The earliest recorded reference to the GIMBEL surname dates back to the late 13th century in Bavaria, Germany. In 1287, a village named 'Gimbeldorf' (meaning 'Gimbel's village') was mentioned in a historical document, suggesting the presence of a family or individual with the surname GIMBEL in that region.

The GIMBEL name is also found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 14th century, where it appears in various spellings such as 'Gympel', 'Gymbel', and 'Gympell'. This indicates that the name had slight variations in its spelling during that time period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the GIMBEL surname was Hans Gimbel, a locksmith who lived in Nuremberg, Germany, in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Johann Gimbel, a German composer born in 1570 in Augsburg, known for his choral works and hymns.

In the 17th century, a family of GIMBELs settled in the town of Saarbrücken, located in the present-day state of Saarland, Germany. This branch of the family produced several notable individuals, including Wilhelm Gimbel (1619-1690), a merchant and landowner, and his grandson, Jakob Gimbel (1674-1743), a prominent jurist and legal scholar.

The GIMBEL surname also has a notable presence in the United States, tracing back to the 19th century. One of the most famous Americans with this surname was Adam Gimbel (1815-1896), a German-born entrepreneur who founded the successful department store chain Gimbel Brothers in 1842 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Other notable individuals with the GIMBEL surname include Friedrich Gimbel (1844-1912), a German industrialist and co-founder of the Gimbel Brothers department store chain, and Richard Gimbel (1898-1970), an American naval officer and entrepreneur who served during World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gimbel

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gimbel.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gimbel was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gimbel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gimbel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gimbel, please contact us.

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