2000
#34,342
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 624
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Girdler
An occupational surname referring to one who made girdles or belts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 859 Americans carry the last name Girdler. That puts it at #32,834 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 399,016 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Girdler 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Girdler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
859
1 in 399,016
Census rank
#32,834
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
749
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 749 bearers of the surname Girdler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32834th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Girdler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Girdler
The surname Girdler originated in England during the Middle Ages. It derived from the Old English word 'girdlere', which referred to a maker or seller of girdles, a type of belt worn by both men and women at that time. The earliest known recorded spelling is from the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as 'le Girdlere'.
Girdlers were considered skilled tradesmen, as girdles required intricate designs and metalwork. They often worked with precious metals and gemstones, making their craft a respected occupation. The name appeared in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, where 'Johannes Girdeler' is mentioned.
One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was William Girdler, a merchant and alderman in the City of London, who lived during the 14th century. He is recorded in the Letter Books of the City of London in 1368.
By the 16th century, the name had spread across England, with notable figures including Robert Girdler (c.1510-1592), a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions under Queen Mary I. Another prominent individual was Thomas Girdler (c.1550-1621), a merchant and benefactor who endowed a school in Hertfordshire.
During the 17th century, the surname Girdler appeared in various parish records and documents. One notable example is John Girdler (1632-1697), a Puritan minister and author from Wiltshire, who wrote several religious works.
In the 18th century, James Girdler (1713-1783) was a prominent London merchant and philanthropist, known for his support of various charitable causes. Another notable figure was Samuel Girdler (1737-1804), a clockmaker from Worcestershire, who is credited with several innovative clock designs.
As the surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, it also acquired various spellings and variations, such as Girdeler, Girdeller, and Girdlestone, reflecting regional dialects and scribal errors in historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Girdler
Among Census respondents with the surname Girdler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Girdler 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 Girdler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 702
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 20
- Two or more races2.4% · 18
- Black or African American0.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Girdler
Girdler 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
#31,068
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 747
+123 bearers (+19.7%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 3,274 places
2020
#32,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 749
+2 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 1,766 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,342 | 624 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,068 | 747 | 0.25 | +123 bearers (+19.7%) | Up 3,274 places |
| 2020 | #32,834 | 749 | 0.25 | +2 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 1,766 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 Girdler 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 | #31,068 | #32,834 | -5.7% |
| Count | 747 | 749 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Girdler bearers went from 747 to 749 (+0.3% change). The surname moved down 1,766 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,068 to #32,834.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Girdler
FAQ
Girdler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Girdler?
Name Census estimates that about 859 living Americans carry the surname Girdler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 399,016 residents.
How common is Girdler?
Girdler ranks #32,834 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 749 people with the surname Girdler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (859), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Girdler.
Has Girdler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Girdler went from 747 recorded bearers to 749. That is an increase of 2 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,068 to #32,834.
What does the Census say about the background of Girdler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Girdler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Girdler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (702 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Girdler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Girdler (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 Girdler mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who made girdles or belts. 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 Girdler (0.25 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 Girdler?
See how many people have the surname Girdler on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.