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

Ginsberg, 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 Ginsberg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ginsberg in America

Ginsberg is the 8060th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ginsberg surname appeared 4,110 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ginsberg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ginsberg 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 Ginsberg

The surname Ginsberg is of German and Ashkenazi Jewish origin, derived from the German place name Ginsberg, which means "green mountain" or "green hill." The name is thought to have originated in the 14th or 15th century in the Rhineland region of Germany.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 15th century, with records showing individuals with the surname Ginsberg living in various towns and villages in the Rhineland region. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Simon Ginsberg, who was mentioned in a document from the town of Mainz in 1492.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Ginsburg, Ginzburg, and Ginsburgh. These variations often reflected local dialects and scribal errors in record-keeping.

The name Ginsberg gained prominence in the literary world with the American poet Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), who was a leading figure in the Beat Generation and counterculture movements of the 1950s and 1960s. His best-known works include the poems "Howl" and "Kaddish."

Other notable individuals with the surname Ginsberg include:

1. Morris Ginsberg (1889-1970), a British sociologist and anthropologist known for his contributions to the study of social evolution and the concept of "organic analogies" in sociology.

2. Benjamin Ginsberg (born 1940), an American political scientist and author of numerous books on American politics and government.

3. Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020), an influential American lawyer and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death.

4. Martin Ginsburg (1932-2010), an American tax lawyer and husband of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, known for his work in tax law and civil rights advocacy.

5. Max Ginsburg (1909-1992), an American businessman and philanthropist who was instrumental in promoting the study of Jewish culture and history through his support of educational institutions and programs.

While the name Ginsberg has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly following the migration of Ashkenazi Jewish communities from Europe to other countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ginsberg

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

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 Ginsberg 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 Ginsberg 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 Ginsberg was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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