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

Girdner, 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 Girdner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Girdner in America

Girdner is the 36048th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Girdner surname appeared 622 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Girdner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Girdner 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 Girdner

The surname Girdner is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "gartenaere," which means "gardener." The name first appeared in the late 13th century in the region of Bavaria, where it referred to individuals who worked as gardeners or cultivated gardens.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Girdner can be found in the records of the town of Nuremberg, where one Johannes Girdner was mentioned in a document dated 1287. This document detailed a land transaction involving Johannes, who was described as a "gartenaere" or gardener.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Girdner name spread throughout southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia. In 1435, a Hans Girdner was listed as a resident of the town of Augsburg, where he worked as a gardener for a wealthy merchant family.

As the name became more established, various spelling variations emerged, such as Girdener, Girtner, and Gärtner. These variations reflected regional differences in dialect and pronunciation.

One notable figure bearing the Girdner name was Johann Girdner (1520-1589), a German botanist and herbalist from Nuremberg. He authored several influential works on medicinal plants and their uses in traditional medicine.

Another prominent individual was Christoph Girdner (1685-1761), a German architect and builder who played a significant role in the reconstruction of several cities in southern Germany after the devastation of the Thirty Years' War.

In the 18th century, some Girdner families emigrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and North America. One such individual was Johann Girdner (1722-1798), who settled in Pennsylvania and became a successful farmer and landowner.

Johannes Girdner (1790-1856), a German-born horticulturist, gained recognition for his work in developing new varieties of fruit trees and ornamental plants. He established a renowned nursery in the town of Heidelberg.

In more recent times, the name Girdner has been associated with individuals in various fields, such as Audrey Girdner (1905-1997), an American botanist and conservationist who worked to preserve natural habitats in California.

While the Girdner surname originated in Germany and initially referred to gardeners, it has since become more widespread and can be found among families of diverse backgrounds and occupations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Girdner

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

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

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

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