2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Goetschel
A surname of German origin meaning "companion" or "friend."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Goetschel. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goetschel 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Goetschel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goetschel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goetschel
The surname GOETSCHEL has its origins in Germany, emerging during the late Middle Ages around the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Goetsche," a diminutive form of the personal name "Gottschalk," which means "servant of God." This name was popular among Germanic tribes during the early medieval period.
The earliest recorded instances of the GOETSCHEL surname can be traced back to regions in southern Germany, particularly in Bavaria and the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg. Historical records suggest that the name was initially associated with families residing in rural areas or small villages.
In the 15th century, there are references to individuals with the surname GOETSCHEL in various municipal records and local chronicles. One notable example is Hans GOETSCHEL, a farmer from the village of Oberammergau in Bavaria, who is mentioned in a land dispute document dated around 1480.
As the name spread across different regions, it underwent minor spelling variations, such as GÖTSCHEL, GOETSCHELL, and GÖTSCHELE, reflecting local dialects and scribal preferences. Some of these variations can be found in church records and parish registers from the 16th and 17th centuries.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the GOETSCHEL surname was Johann Christoph GOETSCHEL (1720-1789), a renowned composer and organist from Nuremberg, whose works contributed to the development of the Baroque and early Classical music styles.
During the 19th century, the GOETSCHEL name gained wider recognition with the birth of Albert GOETSCHEL (1828-1900), a French composer and music teacher who taught at the Paris Conservatory. His compositions included operas, ballets, and orchestral works, and he was known for his influential teaching methods.
Another prominent figure with the GOETSCHEL surname was Max GOETSCHEL (1876-1940), a German-born American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the Rite Aid Corporation, one of the largest drugstore chains in the United States, and was actively involved in various charitable endeavors.
Towards the end of the 19th century, records show the GOETSCHEL surname appearing in different parts of Europe, such as Switzerland and Austria, likely due to migration and mobility within the German-speaking regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goetschel
Among Census respondents with the surname Goetschel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Goetschel 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 Goetschel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goetschel
Goetschel 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
-17 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,442 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+12 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 25,442 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 9,840 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 Goetschel 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 | #142,788 | 6.4% |
| Count | 107 | 119 | 11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goetschel bearers went from 107 to 119 (+11.2% change). The surname moved up 9,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #142,788.
FAQ
Goetschel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goetschel?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Goetschel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Goetschel?
Goetschel ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Goetschel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Goetschel.
Has Goetschel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goetschel went from 107 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 12 (+11.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Goetschel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goetschel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Goetschel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goetschel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Goetschel (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 Goetschel mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "companion" or "friend." 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 Goetschel (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 share the surname Goetschel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.