2000
#68,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 269
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Gongwer
A surname derived from a German place name referring to an inhabitant of Gongenau or Gongenheim.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 316 Americans carry the last name Gongwer. That puts it at #75,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,084,666 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gongwer 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
316
1 in 1,084,666
Census rank
#75,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
276
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 276 bearers of the surname Gongwer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 75363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gongwer, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.7%) and Hispanic (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gongwer
The surname Gongwer has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "gong," meaning "path" or "way," and "wer," meaning "person." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived along a particular path or route.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the village of Hesse, where a family by the name of Gongwer resided in the late 1500s. Historical records from this period often spelled the name as "Gongvere" or "Gongvehr," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common at the time.
In the 17th century, the Gongwer family spread to other regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. During this time, the name appeared in various local records, such as church registers and land deeds. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Gongwer (1612-1679), a prominent merchant in the city of Nuremberg.
As the Gongwer family continued to expand throughout Europe, some members migrated to other countries, including the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America dates back to the late 18th century, when a man named Michael Gongwer (1748-1821) settled in Pennsylvania after emigrating from Germany.
Another notable figure in the history of the Gongwer surname was Wilhelm Gongwer (1794-1872), a German-born soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. After the wars, he settled in France and became a respected member of the local community.
In the 19th century, the Gongwer name appeared in various records across Europe and North America. One notable individual from this period was Elizabeth Gongwer (1822-1901), a writer and educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in Ohio.
As the centuries passed, the Gongwer surname continued to spread across the world, with families bearing the name residing in countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. While the name may have evolved and adapted to different cultures, its origins can be traced back to the paths and routes of Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gongwer
Among Census respondents with the surname Gongwer, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.7%) and Hispanic (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gongwer 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 Gongwer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 268
- Black or African American0.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gongwer
Gongwer 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
#70,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 278
+9 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 2,043 places
2020
#75,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 276
-2 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 4,960 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #68,360 | 269 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #70,403 | 278 | 0.09 | +9 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 2,043 places |
| 2020 | #75,363 | 276 | 0.09 | -2 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 4,960 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 Gongwer 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 | #70,403 | #75,363 | -7.0% |
| Count | 278 | 276 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | 2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gongwer bearers went from 278 to 276 (-0.7% change). The surname moved down 4,960 positions in the national ranking, going from #70,403 to #75,363.
FAQ
Gongwer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gongwer?
Name Census estimates that about 316 living Americans carry the surname Gongwer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,084,666 residents.
How common is Gongwer?
Gongwer ranks #75,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 276 people with the surname Gongwer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (316), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Gongwer.
Has Gongwer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gongwer went from 278 recorded bearers to 276. That is a decrease of 2 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #70,403 to #75,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Gongwer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gongwer, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (0.7%) and Hispanic (0.7%). 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 Gongwer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (268 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gongwer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Black (0.7%), Hispanic (0.7%). 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 Gongwer (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 Gongwer mean?
A surname derived from a German place name referring to an inhabitant of Gongenau or Gongenheim. 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 Gongwer (0.09 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 Gongwer?
If you just want to know how many people are called Gongwer, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.