2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gitschier
A German surname indicating someone who resided near a gypsum quarry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Gitschier. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gitschier 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Gitschier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gitschier, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gitschier
The surname Gitschier is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in the areas that are now part of modern-day Germany and Austria. The name is thought to have roots dating back to the Middle Ages, perhaps as early as the 12th or 13th century.
One theory suggests that the name Gitschier may be derived from an old Germanic word or phrase related to a occupation or trade. Some linguists have speculated that it could be linked to words meaning "metalworker" or "blacksmith," reflecting the potential occupation of early bearers of the name.
Another possibility is that the name Gitschier originated as a place name or a descriptor of a particular geographic location. In this case, it may have referred to a specific town, village, or region where the earliest known individuals with this surname lived or came from.
Historical records and documents from the medieval period are scarce, but there are a few instances where the name Gitschier or similar spellings have been found. One notable example is the mention of a "Johannes Gitschier" in a land registry from the town of Augsburg, dated around 1425.
As the name spread and evolved over the centuries, various spelling variations emerged, such as Gitschier, Gitscher, Gitschiehr, and Gitschyr. These variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or the preferences of scribes and record-keepers at the time.
Among the earliest known individuals with the surname Gitschier are:
1. Hans Gitschier (c. 1540 - 1612), a German woodcarver and sculptor renowned for his intricate religious works.
2. Margaretha Gitschier (1575 - 1648), a prominent figure in the German Reformation movement and a supporter of Martin Luther.
3. Johann Gitschier (1620 - 1687), a noted architect and builder responsible for several churches and public buildings in the city of Ulm.
4. Anna Maria Gitschier (1665 - 1732), a renowned herbalist and healer whose remedies were widely sought after in her region.
5. Ludwig Gitschier (1785 - 1863), a German philosopher and author who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy.
While the surname Gitschier may not be among the most common or widely recognized today, its origins and historical bearers reflect the rich cultural and linguistic diversity that has shaped the German-speaking regions of Europe over many centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gitschier
Among Census respondents with the surname Gitschier, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gitschier 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 Gitschier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gitschier
Gitschier 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-11 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,623 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 17,623 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,113 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 Gitschier 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 | #140,157 | #144,270 | -2.9% |
| Count | 119 | 117 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gitschier bearers went from 119 to 117 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #144,270.
FAQ
Gitschier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gitschier?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Gitschier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Gitschier?
Gitschier ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Gitschier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Gitschier.
Has Gitschier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gitschier went from 119 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Gitschier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gitschier, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Gitschier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gitschier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Hispanic (1.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Gitschier (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 Gitschier mean?
A German surname indicating someone who resided near a gypsum quarry. 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 Gitschier (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 Americans have the surname Gitschier?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.