2000
#10,790
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,714
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Rare Last name
Ginther
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "on the Günz," referring to the Günz river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,026 Americans carry the last name Ginther. That puts it at #11,418 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,270 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ginther 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
3.0K
1 in 113,270
Census rank
#11,418
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,639 bearers of the surname Ginther in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11418th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ginther, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ginther
The surname Ginther is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots traceable back to the Middle Ages. This name is thought to be derived from the Germanic word "gunt," which means "battle" or "war." It is likely that the surname was initially assigned as a descriptive name to someone who was known for their valor or prowess in combat.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ginther surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 12th century. This ancient manuscript contains a reference to a man named Guntherus, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the modern-day Ginther.
The Ginther name also appears in the Berne Shaking Records, a set of manuscripts from the 14th century that documented legal disputes and property transactions in the city of Berne, Switzerland. These records mention a family with the surname Gintharius, which further supports the German origins of the name.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who carried the Ginther surname. One such person was Johann Ginther (1592-1656), a German painter and engraver who was renowned for his intricate landscape paintings and etchings. Another was Friedrich Ginther (1809-1892), a German theologian and philosopher who authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.
In the realm of literature, the name Ginther is associated with Karl Ginther (1871-1947), an Austrian novelist and playwright who gained recognition for his works depicting life in rural Austria. Additionally, Alois Ginther (1908-1992) was an Austrian physicist and inventor whose contributions included the development of early television technology.
One of the earliest recorded place names associated with the Ginther surname is Ginthershausen, a small village in the German state of Hesse. This place name likely derived from the surname itself, suggesting that the Ginther family may have had a presence or influence in this region during the Middle Ages.
While the Ginther surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through emigration and diaspora. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich and fascinating origins of this name, which has endured for centuries and continues to be carried by countless individuals today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ginther
Among Census respondents with the surname Ginther, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ginther 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 Ginther surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 2,408
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 106
- Two or more races3.0% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 21
- Black or African American0.7% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ginther
Ginther 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
#11,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,849
+135 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 337 places
2020
#11,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,639
-210 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,790 | 2,714 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,127 | 2,849 | 0.97 | +135 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 337 places |
| 2020 | #11,418 | 2,639 | 0.88 | -210 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 291 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 Ginther 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 | #11,127 | #11,418 | -2.6% |
| Count | 2,849 | 2,639 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.88 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ginther bearers went from 2,849 to 2,639 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 291 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,127 to #11,418.
FAQ
Ginther surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ginther?
Name Census estimates that about 3,026 living Americans carry the surname Ginther. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,270 residents.
How common is Ginther?
Ginther ranks #11,418 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,639 people with the surname Ginther. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,026), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ginther.
Has Ginther become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ginther went from 2,849 recorded bearers to 2,639. That is a decrease of 210 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,127 to #11,418.
What does the Census say about the background of Ginther?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ginther, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Ginther in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (2,408 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ginther appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Ginther (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 Ginther mean?
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "on the Günz," referring to the Günz river. 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 Ginther (0.88 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 have the last name Ginther?
If you just want to know how common the surname Ginther is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.