2000
#20,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,187
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Ginger
A surname derived from the reddish-brown hair color, often associated with fair skin and freckles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,378 Americans carry the last name Ginger. That puts it at #22,036 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 248,733 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ginger 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ginger with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 248,733
Census rank
#22,036
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,202 bearers of the surname Ginger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22036th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ginger, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ginger
The surname Ginger has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be an occupational name referring to someone who grew or traded in ginger, which was an expensive and highly sought-after spice during medieval times.
The name is derived from the Old French word "gingembre," which in turn came from the Latin "zingiber" and the Greek "zingiberis," all referring to the ginger root. Variations in spelling included Gynger and Gyngour in early records.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ginger can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, where a Richard Ginger is mentioned. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also list a John Gyngour.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, such as William Gyngour (1379) and Robert Gyngure (1391). The Placita de Banco Rolls of 1393 mention a Richard Gynger from Norfolk.
Notable individuals with the surname Ginger include Sir Everard Ginger (c. 1590-1661), an English politician who served as Sheriff of London in 1644. John Ginger (c. 1610-1661) was an English lawyer and author who wrote a treatise on the laws of England.
In the 17th century, Thomas Ginger (1635-1705) was a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the fields of navigation and astronomy. His works include "Institutio Astronomica" and "Institutio Nautica."
More recently, David Ginger (1936-2020) was a British actor and playwright known for his roles in television series such as "Doctor Who" and "Blackadder."
The surname Ginger has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Ginger Hill in Wiltshire and Ginger Wood in Surrey, which may have influenced the development of the surname in certain regions.
While the surname Ginger is not as common today as it once was, it has left an indelible mark on English history and culture, with its origins dating back to the medieval spice trade and its association with notable figures in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ginger
Among Census respondents with the surname Ginger, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ginger 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 Ginger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 985
- Black or African American10.1% · 122
- Two or more races3.5% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ginger
Ginger 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
#22,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,136
-51 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 1,897 places
2020
#22,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,202
+66 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 572 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,711 | 1,187 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,608 | 1,136 | 0.39 | -51 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 1,897 places |
| 2020 | #22,036 | 1,202 | 0.40 | +66 bearers (+5.8%) | Up 572 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 Ginger 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 | #22,608 | #22,036 | 2.5% |
| Count | 1,136 | 1,202 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.40 | 3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ginger bearers went from 1,136 to 1,202 (+5.8% change). The surname moved up 572 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,608 to #22,036.
FAQ
Ginger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ginger?
Name Census estimates that about 1,378 living Americans carry the surname Ginger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 248,733 residents.
How common is Ginger?
Ginger ranks #22,036 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.40 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 1,202 people with the surname Ginger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,378), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.40 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 Ginger.
Has Ginger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ginger went from 1,136 recorded bearers to 1,202. That is an increase of 66 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,608 to #22,036.
What does the Census say about the background of Ginger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ginger, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Ginger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (985 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ginger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (10.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Ginger (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 Ginger mean?
A surname derived from the reddish-brown hair color, often associated with fair skin and freckles. 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 Ginger (0.40 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 Ginger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.