2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gmeinder
A German surname meaning "villager or inhabitant of a common pasture".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Gmeinder. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gmeinder 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Gmeinder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gmeinder, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gmeinder
The surname GMEINDER has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely emerging in the late medieval period or the early modern era. Its roots can be traced to the German word "Gmein," which translates to "common" or "shared," suggesting a potential connection to communal land ownership or shared resources.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GMEINDER name appears in the 16th century manuscripts of the Free Imperial City of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in present-day Bavaria, Germany. These documents mention a family with the surname GMEINDER residing within the city walls during that period.
In the late 17th century, records from the village of Obermichelbach, situated in the Franconian region of Bavaria, indicate the presence of a prominent GMEINDER family. This lineage can be traced back to Johann GMEINDER, born in 1652, who was a respected farmer and landowner in the area.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as GEMEINDER, GMEINEDER, and GMAINER. These variations often reflect regional dialects and linguistic shifts over time.
One notable figure bearing the GMEINDER surname was Johann Georg GMEINDER, born in 1756 in the town of Crailsheim, Württemberg. He was a renowned clockmaker and horologist, known for his intricate and precise timepieces, which were highly sought after during his lifetime.
Another individual of note was Anna Maria GMEINDER, born in 1802 in the village of Michelau, Bavaria. She gained recognition for her exceptional embroidery skills and was commissioned by local nobility to create intricate tapestries and decorative textiles.
In the 19th century, the GMEINDER name found its way to the United States through various waves of German immigration. One such individual was Friedrich GMEINDER, born in 1832 in the village of Untermichelbach, Bavaria. He settled in the German-American communities of Wisconsin, where he worked as a skilled carpenter and woodworker.
Another notable figure was Katharina GMEINDER, born in 1879 in the town of Neustadt an der Waldnaab, Bavaria. She emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century and became a renowned cook, publishing several cookbooks that preserved traditional German culinary traditions.
In more recent times, the GMEINDER name has been carried by individuals such as Hans GMEINDER, a German-born artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his large-scale public installations and exhibitions in the latter half of the 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gmeinder
Among Census respondents with the surname Gmeinder, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gmeinder 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 Gmeinder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 107
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gmeinder
Gmeinder 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,406 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,412 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 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 3,406 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,412 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 Gmeinder 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 | #147,253 | #148,665 | -1.0% |
| Count | 112 | 111 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gmeinder bearers went from 112 to 111 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,412 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #148,665.
FAQ
Gmeinder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gmeinder?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Gmeinder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Gmeinder?
Gmeinder ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Gmeinder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Gmeinder.
Has Gmeinder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gmeinder went from 112 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Gmeinder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gmeinder, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Gmeinder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gmeinder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Gmeinder (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 Gmeinder mean?
A German surname meaning "villager or inhabitant of a common pasture". 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 Gmeinder (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 Gmeinder?
See how many Americans have the surname Gmeinder on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.