2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Goewert
A German surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the town of Goevert.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Goewert. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goewert 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Goewert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goewert, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goewert
The surname Goewert is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is likely derived from the Middle High German word "gouwen," which means "to gaze" or "to look," combined with the suffix "-hart," indicating strength or hardiness. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person with a strong or piercing gaze.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Goewert surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Köln (Cologne) in the Rhineland region of Germany. In 1562, a certain Hans Goewert was listed as a resident of the city. This region, known for its rich cultural heritage and commercial importance, was a melting pot of various linguistic influences, which could have shaped the evolution of the name.
As the name spread across different regions of Germany, various spellings emerged, such as Goevert, Gouwert, and Gouwertz. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic peculiarities of the areas where the name was adopted. Interestingly, some scholars have also suggested a possible connection to the Dutch surname Gouwerts, which may have a similar etymological origin.
One notable figure bearing the Goewert name was Johann Goewert, a German composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Born in Schmalkalden, Thuringia, around 1570, he served as the organist at the St. Johanniskirche in Lüneburg and is known for his contributions to the development of sacred music during the Protestant Reformation.
Another historically significant individual with the Goewert surname was Hans Goewert, a German painter and engraver active in the late 16th century. His works, including religious paintings and engravings, can be found in various collections across Europe, showcasing the artistic talents associated with this surname.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Christoph Goewert made his mark as a German jurist and legal scholar. Born in Marburg in 1588, he served as a professor of law at the University of Marburg and wrote several influential works on legal theory and jurisprudence.
As the Goewert surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to other regions. In the Netherlands, for instance, there are records of a notable figure named Pieter Goewert, a merchant and trader who lived in Amsterdam in the late 17th century and was involved in the lucrative trade between the Netherlands and the East Indies.
While the surname Goewert may not be as widely known as some other German surnames, its rich history and diverse geographical presence illustrate the cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped its evolution over centuries. From composers and artists to legal scholars and merchants, the Goewert name has left its mark on various aspects of European history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goewert
Among Census respondents with the surname Goewert, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Goewert 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 Goewert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 112
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goewert
Goewert 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+7 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,582 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-11 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,132 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 2,582 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 12,132 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 Goewert 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 | #131,379 | #143,511 | -9.2% |
| Count | 129 | 118 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goewert bearers went from 129 to 118 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 12,132 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #143,511.
FAQ
Goewert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goewert?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Goewert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Goewert?
Goewert ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Goewert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Goewert.
Has Goewert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goewert went from 129 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Goewert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goewert, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Goewert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goewert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Goewert (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 Goewert mean?
A German surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the town of Goevert. 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 Goewert (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 are called Goewert?
Want to know how many people have the last name Goewert? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.