2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gingrass
A surname possibly derived from the Yiddish words meaning "ginger" and "grass".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Gingrass. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gingrass 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Gingrass in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gingrass, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gingrass
The surname GINGRASS is believed to have originated in the British Isles, specifically in the region of Lincolnshire, England, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ginne," meaning a snare or trap, and "græs," meaning grass, potentially referring to an area overgrown with tall grass used for hunting or trapping animals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the late 12th century, where a certain Robert de Gingrasse is mentioned as a landowner. This spelling variation suggests that the name was likely originally pronounced with a hard "g" sound.
During the 13th century, the GINGRASS surname appeared in various legal documents and land records across Lincolnshire and the surrounding areas. Notable individuals bearing this name include William Gingrasse, a wealthy merchant from Boston, Lincolnshire, who was recorded in the town's guild records in 1296.
By the 14th century, the surname had spread to other parts of England, as evidenced by the mention of a John Gyngrasse in the Hertfordshire Assize Rolls of 1341. This variation in spelling highlights the fluidity of surnames during this period, as they were often recorded phonetically by scribes.
In the 16th century, the GINGRASS surname appeared in several parish records and tax rolls across various counties in England. One notable individual from this time was Robert Gingrass, a farmer from Oxfordshire, who was mentioned in the Muster Rolls of 1522 as a participant in the local militia.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the GINGRASS surname continued to be found in various records across England, with some variations in spelling, such as Gingras, Gingress, and Gingrasse. Notable individuals from this period include John Gingress, a merchant from London, who was involved in the East India Company's trade in the late 17th century, and Mary Gingrass, a renowned midwife from Yorkshire, who was mentioned in local records from the early 18th century.
While the GINGRASS surname remains relatively uncommon, it has persisted throughout the centuries, with various branches of the family tracing their roots back to the original Lincolnshire region. The name's unique origin and historical significance make it a fascinating example of the rich tapestry of English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gingrass
Among Census respondents with the surname Gingrass, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gingrass 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 Gingrass surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 117
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gingrass
Gingrass appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,597 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 6,597 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 Gingrass 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 | #134,712 | #141,309 | -4.9% |
| Count | 125 | 121 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gingrass bearers went from 125 to 121 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 6,597 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #141,309.
FAQ
Gingrass surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gingrass?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Gingrass. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Gingrass?
Gingrass ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Gingrass. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gingrass.
Has Gingrass become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gingrass went from 125 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Gingrass?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gingrass, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Gingrass in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gingrass appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Gingrass (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 Gingrass mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Yiddish words meaning "ginger" and "grass". 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 Gingrass (0.04 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 share the surname Gingrass?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.