2000
#3,705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,794
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.26
Rare Last name
Goebel
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of forks or pitchforks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,778 Americans carry the last name Goebel. That puts it at #4,044 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,054 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goebel 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
9.8K
1 in 35,054
Census rank
#4,044
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,527 bearers of the surname Goebel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4044th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goebel
The surname Goebel has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the German word "Göbel," which means "gable" or "roof ridge," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a house with a distinct gable or worked as a roofer or builder.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Goebel surname dates back to the 13th century in the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Heinrich Goebel was mentioned in historical records from 1292. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
In the 14th century, the Goebel name appeared in various German chronicles and manuscripts, including the Codex Diplomaticus, which contains official documents and charters from the Holy Roman Empire. This further solidifies the name's deep roots in German history.
During the 16th century, the Goebel surname gained prominence with the birth of Johannes Goebel (1500-1585), a renowned German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and worked tirelessly to promote the ideals of the Reformation.
Another notable figure bearing the Goebel name was Johann Friedrich Goebel (1766-1836), a German painter and lithographer who made significant contributions to the art world during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His works are still celebrated for their technical mastery and artistic expression.
In the 19th century, Karl Goebel (1854-1932) was a prominent German botanist and professor who made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of plant biology. He is particularly renowned for his contributions to the understanding of plant development and evolution.
The Goebel surname also found its way to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Belgium, where variations such as "Goebels" and "Goebelsz" were used. In these regions, the name was often associated with families involved in agriculture or the production of food and beverages.
Throughout its long history, the Goebel surname has been carried by many individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, and professionals. While its original meaning may have been related to architecture or construction, the name has transcended these origins and become a part of the rich tapestry of German and European cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goebel
Among Census respondents with the surname Goebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Goebel 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 Goebel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 7,919
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 267
- Two or more races2.6% · 222
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 67
- Black or African American0.4% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goebel
Goebel 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
#3,920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,062
+268 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 3.07
Rank movement Down 215 places
2020
#4,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,527
-535 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 2.85
Rank movement Down 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,705 | 8,794 | 3.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,920 | 9,062 | 3.07 | +268 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 215 places |
| 2020 | #4,044 | 8,527 | 2.85 | -535 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 124 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 Goebel 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 | #3,920 | #4,044 | -3.2% |
| Count | 9,062 | 8,527 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.07 | 2.85 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goebel bearers went from 9,062 to 8,527 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,920 to #4,044.
FAQ
Goebel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goebel?
Name Census estimates that about 9,778 living Americans carry the surname Goebel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,054 residents.
How common is Goebel?
Goebel ranks #4,044 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,527 people with the surname Goebel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,778), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Goebel.
Has Goebel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goebel went from 9,062 recorded bearers to 8,527. That is a decrease of 535 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,920 to #4,044.
What does the Census say about the background of Goebel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goebel, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Goebel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (7,919 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goebel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Goebel (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 Goebel mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of forks or pitchforks. 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 Goebel (2.85 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 Goebel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.