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

Gister, 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 Gister surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gister in America

Gister is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gister surname appeared 108 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 Gister.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gister 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 Gister

The surname Gister originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "gist," which means yeast or fermentation. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a baker or brewer.

In its early forms, the name was spelled as "Gister" or "Gistere." Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval German records and documents, including parish registers and tax rolls from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johannes Gister, a baker who lived in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the late 14th century. His name is mentioned in a guild register from 1387.

Another notable figure was Hans Gister, a brewer who lived in Nuremberg in the early 15th century. Historical records indicate that he was a prominent member of the local brewing guild and supplied beer to several taverns in the city.

During the 16th century, the Gister surname began to spread beyond its German origins. In 1542, a merchant named Matthias Gister is recorded as having settled in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, where he established a successful trading business.

In the 17th century, the name appears in some English records, possibly brought over by German immigrants. One example is Thomas Gister, a baker who was born in London in 1628 and is listed in parish records.

Another notable individual was Johann Gister, a German scholar and philosopher who lived from 1697 to 1768. He was a professor at the University of Göttingen and published several works on metaphysics and ethics.

As the name spread across Europe, various spellings emerged, such as "Gistere," "Gistler," and "Gistner." However, the original German form of "Gister" remained the most common.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gister

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

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

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

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