2000
#4,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,674
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.47
Uncommon Last name
Gingerich
Derived from the German surname Güngerich, likely referring to a person from Güngerich, a town in Bavaria, Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,222 Americans carry the last name Gingerich. That puts it at #3,313 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,044 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gingerich 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
12K
1 in 28,044
Census rank
#3,313
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,658 bearers of the surname Gingerich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3313th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gingerich, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gingerich
The surname Gingerich has its roots in the German language and is believed to have originated in the region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, during the late medieval period. It is derived from the German words "ginger" and "bach," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a "ginger creek" or a stream with reddish-colored water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gingerich name can be found in the town records of Horb am Neckar, a town located in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg, dating back to the 16th century. The earliest known spelling variations of the name include Gingerich, Gingerbach, and Gingersbach.
Although the Gingerich surname does not appear in the renowned Domesday Book, a significant historical record compiled in 1086 for much of England and parts of Wales, it is noteworthy that the name has a long-standing presence in the German-speaking regions of Europe.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Gingerich surname. One such figure is Johann Gingerich (1616-1697), a prominent farmer and landowner from the town of Horb am Neckar, who played a significant role in the local community during the 17th century.
Another notable bearer of the Gingerich name was Maria Gingerich (1782-1856), a respected midwife and healer from the village of Oberriexingen, near Stuttgart. Her knowledge of traditional remedies and her compassionate care for the villagers earned her a reputation that extended far beyond her local community.
In the 19th century, Jakob Gingerich (1825-1897) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and watchmaker in the town of Freudenstadt, located in the Black Forest region. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after and showcased his exceptional craftsmanship.
Crossing the Atlantic, one of the earliest known Gingerich immigrants to North America was Hans Gingerich (1745-1823), who arrived in Pennsylvania in the late 18th century, fleeing religious persecution in Europe. He and his family were among the first Amish settlers in the region, and their descendants played a significant role in the development of Amish communities across North America.
In more recent times, Martin Gingerich (1916-2008) was a prominent educator and historian from Ohio, who dedicated his life to preserving and documenting the rich cultural heritage of the Amish and Mennonite communities in the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gingerich
Among Census respondents with the surname Gingerich, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gingerich 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 Gingerich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 10,361
- Two or more races1.3% · 138
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 24
- Black or African American0.2% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gingerich
Gingerich 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
#3,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,117
+2,443 bearers (+36.6%)
Per 100,000 3.09
Rank movement Up 932 places
2020
#3,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,658
+1,541 bearers (+16.9%)
Per 100,000 3.57
Rank movement Up 581 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,826 | 6,674 | 2.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,894 | 9,117 | 3.09 | +2,443 bearers (+36.6%) | Up 932 places |
| 2020 | #3,313 | 10,658 | 3.57 | +1,541 bearers (+16.9%) | Up 581 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 Gingerich 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 | #3,894 | #3,313 | 14.9% |
| Count | 9,117 | 10,658 | 16.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.09 | 3.57 | 15.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gingerich bearers went from 9,117 to 10,658 (+16.9% change). The surname moved up 581 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,894 to #3,313.
FAQ
Gingerich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gingerich?
Name Census estimates that about 12,222 living Americans carry the surname Gingerich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,044 residents.
How common is Gingerich?
Gingerich ranks #3,313 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,658 people with the surname Gingerich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,222), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Gingerich.
Has Gingerich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gingerich went from 9,117 recorded bearers to 10,658. That is an increase of 1,541 (+16.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,894 to #3,313.
What does the Census say about the background of Gingerich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gingerich, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Gingerich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (10,361 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gingerich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Two or More Races (1.3%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Gingerich (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 Gingerich mean?
Derived from the German surname Güngerich, likely referring to a person from Güngerich, a town in Bavaria, 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 Gingerich (3.57 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 Gingerich?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.