2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gleiser
A surname of German origin possibly referring to a glazier or glass-maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Gleiser. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gleiser 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Gleiser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gleiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.0%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gleiser
The surname Gleiser has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "gleissen," which means "to shine" or "to glisten." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with occupations or trades involving shiny materials, such as metalworking or gemstones.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gleiser can be found in the town of Augsburg, located in the German state of Bavaria. Records from the 1500s mention several individuals with the surname, indicating that it was already established in the region during that time period.
Throughout the centuries, the name Gleiser has undergone various spelling variations, including Gleisser, Gleisner, and Glaeser. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects, scribal errors, or personal preferences.
While no specific historical references to the name Gleiser have been found in major manuscripts or records like the Domesday Book, some notable individuals bearing this surname have left their mark on history.
One such individual was Johann Gleiser (1590-1658), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He is best known for his work on the motion of comets and his collaboration with Johannes Kepler.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Gleiser (1805-1879), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Berliner Rathaus (Berlin City Hall) and the Berliner Börse (Berlin Stock Exchange).
In the literary world, Karl Gleiser (1860-1929) was a German author and poet known for his works exploring themes of nature, love, and spirituality. His collection of poems, "Waldlieder" (Forest Songs), published in 1895, received critical acclaim.
Moving into the 20th century, Joachim Gleiser (1914-1995) was a German-born Israeli physicist who made significant contributions to the field of theoretical physics, particularly in the areas of quantum mechanics and relativity theory.
Lastly, Marcelo Gleiser (born 1959) is a Brazilian-American theoretical physicist and author. He is known for his work on the origins of the universe, quantum gravity, and the philosophy of science. Gleiser has authored several popular science books and has been a prominent figure in science communication.
While these are just a few examples, the surname Gleiser has been carried by individuals across various fields, from science and mathematics to architecture and literature, leaving their mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gleiser
Among Census respondents with the surname Gleiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.0%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gleiser 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 Gleiser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.8% · 80
- Hispanic or Latino15.0% · 16
- Two or more races6.5% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gleiser
Gleiser 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,781 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 989 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,781 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 989 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 Gleiser 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 | #152,628 | #151,639 | 0.6% |
| Count | 107 | 107 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gleiser bearers went from 107 to 107 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 989 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #151,639.
FAQ
Gleiser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gleiser?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Gleiser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Gleiser?
Gleiser ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Gleiser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Gleiser.
Has Gleiser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gleiser went from 107 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Gleiser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gleiser, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.0%) and Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Gleiser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gleiser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.8%), Hispanic (15.0%), Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Gleiser (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 Gleiser mean?
A surname of German origin possibly referring to a glazier or glass-maker. 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 Gleiser (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 Gleiser?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Gleiser at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.