2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gnadinger
From German, a surname derived from a place name meaning "gracious valley".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Gnadinger. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gnadinger 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Gnadinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gnadinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gnadinger
The surname GNADINGER originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, with its earliest documented instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have derived from the German word "Gnade," meaning "grace" or "mercy," suggesting a potential association with religious or spiritual connotations.
One of the earliest recorded references to the GNADINGER surname can be found in a 1564 document from the town of Augsburg, where a certain Hans GNADINGER was mentioned as a resident. This record provides insight into the name's presence in the region during the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, the GNADINGER name appeared in various church records and municipal documents across German-speaking territories, such as Bavaria and Saxony. Notable individuals bearing this surname during this time include Johann GNADINGER (1628-1701), a prominent theologian and author from Regensburg.
As the GNADINGER family spread across Europe, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, including GNADINGER, GNADINGER, and GNADINGER. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and transcription practices.
During the 18th century, the GNADINGER surname gained recognition in the arts and literature. One notable figure was Friedrich GNADINGER (1742-1811), a renowned German painter known for his landscapes and portraiture. His works can be found in several prestigious art collections across Europe.
As the 19th century dawned, the GNADINGER name continued to be associated with notable individuals in various fields. Among them was Karl GNADINGER (1823-1892), a respected jurist and legal scholar who contributed significantly to the development of German civil law.
Another prominent figure was Elisabeth GNADINGER (1856-1926), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Switzerland. Her efforts played a crucial role in advancing educational opportunities for women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the GNADINGER surname may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration patterns. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich cultural and historical tapestry of the German-speaking regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gnadinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Gnadinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gnadinger 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 Gnadinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gnadinger
Gnadinger appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-15 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,761 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 13,761 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 Gnadinger 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 | #139,228 | #152,989 | -9.9% |
| Count | 120 | 105 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gnadinger bearers went from 120 to 105 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 13,761 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #152,989.
FAQ
Gnadinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gnadinger?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Gnadinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Gnadinger?
Gnadinger ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Gnadinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Gnadinger.
Has Gnadinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gnadinger went from 120 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Gnadinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gnadinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Gnadinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gnadinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Gnadinger (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 Gnadinger mean?
From German, a surname derived from a place name meaning "gracious valley". 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 Gnadinger (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 common is the surname Gnadinger?
Find out how many people have the surname Gnadinger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.