2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gischel
A surname of German origin, possibly derived from a place name or an occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Gischel. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gischel 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Gischel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gischel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gischel
The surname Gischel is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "gischen," which means "to foam" or "to froth." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with occupations related to brewing or soap-making.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gischel can be found in the parish records of various German towns and villages. For example, in 1573, a Johann Gischel was mentioned in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Franconia. Another early reference is from 1612, when a Hans Gischel was recorded in the town of Erlenbach am Main in Bavaria.
While the surname Gischel did not appear in the famous Domesday Book, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are records of the name in other historical documents from the region. For instance, in the 17th century, a family named Gischel was listed among the landholders in the town of Großen-Linden, which is now part of the city of Giessen in Hesse, Germany.
One notable figure with the surname Gischel was Johann Nikolaus Gischel (1696-1766), a German theologian and Protestant minister who served as a pastor in the town of Großen-Linden. Another was Johann Georg Gischel (1719-1783), a German jurist and legal scholar who authored several treatises on Roman law.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual with the name Gischel was Friedrich Wilhelm Gischel (1814-1892), a German theologian and Biblical scholar who served as a professor at the University of Jena. He was known for his work on the textual criticism of the New Testament.
Another noteworthy person with this surname was Gustav Gischel (1853-1912), a German architect and urban planner who was involved in the design and development of several cities in Germany, including Freiburg im Breisgau and Karlsruhe.
While the surname Gischel is relatively uncommon, it has persisted in various parts of Germany over the centuries. The name has also been found in some historical records from neighboring countries, such as Austria and Switzerland, likely due to migration patterns and cultural exchanges between these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gischel
Among Census respondents with the surname Gischel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gischel 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 Gischel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 111
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gischel
Gischel 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
-3 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 9,793 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-17 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,767 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | -3 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 9,793 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 16,767 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 Gischel 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 | #125,282 | #142,049 | -13.4% |
| Count | 137 | 120 | -12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gischel bearers went from 137 to 120 (-12.4% change). The surname moved down 16,767 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #142,049.
FAQ
Gischel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gischel?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Gischel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Gischel?
Gischel ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Gischel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Gischel.
Has Gischel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gischel went from 137 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 17 (-12.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Gischel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gischel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Gischel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gischel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Black (1.7%). 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 Gischel (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 Gischel mean?
A surname of German origin, possibly derived from a place name or an occupation. 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 Gischel (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 have the last name Gischel?
If you just want to know how common the surname Gischel is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.