2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gonseth
Swiss surname derived from a French place name, possibly related to the term "gontière" meaning a drain or sewer channel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Gonseth. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gonseth 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Gonseth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gonseth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gonseth
The surname Gonseth is believed to have originated in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland. Its roots can be traced back to the early 16th century, possibly derived from a Swiss-French dialect term or a regional place name. One theory suggests that the name may have evolved from the word "gont," which referred to a wooden roof shingle, indicating a potential occupation or location connection.
In the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, the Gonseth name appeared in historical records as early as the 1500s. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Lausanne municipal archives, where a Jean Gonseth was mentioned in a land deed from 1538. This provides evidence of the name's existence during that period in the Vaud region.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gonseth family seemed to have established a presence in various Swiss communities, particularly in the Cantons of Vaud, Fribourg, and Neuchâtel. Some notable individuals carrying this surname include:
1. Ferdinand Gonseth (1890-1975), a renowned Swiss mathematician and logician who made significant contributions to the field of logic and the foundations of mathematics.
2. Marc-Auguste Gonseth (1785-1853), a Swiss Protestant pastor and theologian who served as the pastor of the Swiss Reformed Church in Neuchâtel.
3. Jean-Pierre Gonseth (1736-1799), a Swiss lawyer and politician who held influential positions in the government of the Canton of Vaud during the Helvetic Republic period.
4. Marie-Louise Gonseth (1782-1855), a Swiss artist and painter known for her portraits and still-life works, which are part of the collections of several Swiss museums.
5. André-Marie Gonseth (1911-1993), a Swiss architect and urban planner who contributed significantly to the development of modern architecture in Switzerland, particularly in the city of Lausanne.
While the Gonseth name is predominantly found in Switzerland, it has also been documented in neighboring regions, such as parts of France and Italy, likely due to migration and intermarriage. Some variations in spelling, such as Goncet or Gonset, have also been recorded, although Gonseth remains the most common form.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gonseth
Among Census respondents with the surname Gonseth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gonseth 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 Gonseth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gonseth
Gonseth 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-29 bearers (-20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 30,784 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,608 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-20.0%) | Down 30,784 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,608 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 Gonseth 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 | #143,149 | #145,757 | -1.8% |
| Count | 116 | 115 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gonseth bearers went from 116 to 115 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,608 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #145,757.
FAQ
Gonseth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gonseth?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Gonseth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Gonseth?
Gonseth ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Gonseth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Gonseth.
Has Gonseth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gonseth went from 116 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Gonseth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gonseth, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%) 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 Gonseth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gonseth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%), 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 Gonseth (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 Gonseth mean?
Swiss surname derived from a French place name, possibly related to the term "gontière" meaning a drain or sewer channel. 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 Gonseth (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 Gonseth?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.