2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ginzberg
A surname derived from the Yiddish word for "ginger," likely referring to a person with reddish hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Ginzberg. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ginzberg 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Ginzberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ginzberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ginzberg
The surname Ginzberg is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, derived from the Yiddish word "ginzberg," which means "duck mountain." It is believed to have originated in Eastern Europe, particularly in areas like Poland, Ukraine, and Russia, where large Ashkenazi Jewish communities existed during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ginzberg can be found in the 16th century, when it appeared in various Jewish community records and documents. It is possible that the name may have originated as a reference to a specific geographic location or a topographical feature associated with ducks or waterfowl.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Ginzberg surname gained prominence among Jewish intellectuals and scholars. Notable individuals bearing this name include the philosopher and thinker Asher Ginzberg (1856-1927), also known as Ahad Ha'am, who played a significant role in the development of cultural Zionism.
Another prominent figure was the historian and author Louis Ginzberg (1873-1953), renowned for his extensive work on Jewish literature and culture. His contributions include the multi-volume "Legends of the Jews" and numerous other scholarly publications.
In the 20th century, the physicist Vitaly Ginzburg (1916-2009) made significant contributions to the field of theoretical physics, particularly in the areas of superconductivity and superfluidity. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2003 for his groundbreaking work.
The name Ginzberg has also been associated with the world of arts and literature. One example is the American author and critic Eli Ginzburg (1911-2002), known for his writings on literature, politics, and social issues.
Additionally, the Russian-American novelist and poet Yevgeny Ginzburg (1904-1977) gained recognition for his literary works, which often explored themes of exile and the human condition.
While the surname Ginzberg has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its origins and connection to the Ashkenazi Jewish community remain a significant part of its history and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ginzberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Ginzberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ginzberg 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 Ginzberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 110
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ginzberg
Ginzberg 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
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 444 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 444 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 Ginzberg 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 | #146,201 | #145,757 | 0.3% |
| Count | 113 | 115 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ginzberg bearers went from 113 to 115 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 444 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #145,757.
FAQ
Ginzberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ginzberg?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Ginzberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Ginzberg?
Ginzberg ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Ginzberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Ginzberg.
Has Ginzberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ginzberg went from 113 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Ginzberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ginzberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (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 Ginzberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ginzberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Black (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 Ginzberg (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 Ginzberg mean?
A surname derived from the Yiddish word for "ginger," likely referring to a person with reddish hair. 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 Ginzberg (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 Ginzberg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.