2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Gontar
A topographic surname derived from a regional dialect word meaning "bent path" or "winding road."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Gontar. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gontar 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Gontar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gontar, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gontar
The surname GONTAR has its origins in Poland and can be traced back to the early 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "gońca," which means "messenger" or "runner." The name likely originated from a person who worked as a messenger or courier, carrying important documents or messages between towns and cities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GONTAR surname can be found in the historic town of Krakow, where a certain Jan GONTAR was mentioned in local records dating back to 1523. In the 17th century, the name appeared in various municipal records and church registers across central and eastern Poland, particularly in the regions of Lesser Poland and Masovia.
The GONTAR surname has undergone slight variations in spelling over the centuries, including GONTARZ, GONTARSKI, and GONTARCZYK. These variations often reflected regional dialects or were adopted by families as they moved to different parts of the country.
One notable figure in Polish history bearing the GONTAR name was Stanisław GONTAR, a respected military commander who served under King Jan III Sobieski during the 17th century. Stanisław GONTAR played a crucial role in the famous Battle of Vienna in 1683, where the Polish-led forces decisively defeated the Ottoman Empire, marking a turning point in the centuries-long conflict between Christian Europe and the Ottoman Turks.
Another prominent GONTAR was Józef GONTAR (1810-1879), a renowned Polish painter and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. His paintings, which often depicted scenes from Polish history and folklore, are considered among the finest examples of the Romantic era in Polish art.
In the 19th century, the GONTAR surname gained recognition through the work of Franciszek GONTAR (1847-1919), a prolific writer and journalist who played a significant role in promoting Polish literary culture. His novels and short stories, which explored themes of social injustice and national identity, were widely read and celebrated during his lifetime.
The GONTAR name has also been associated with various places and settlements in Poland. For instance, the village of Gontarzew near Radom is believed to have derived its name from the GONTAR surname, indicating the presence of families with this last name in the area.
Throughout its history, the GONTAR surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, writers, military leaders, and ordinary citizens, contributing to the rich tapestry of Polish culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gontar
Among Census respondents with the surname Gontar, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gontar 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 Gontar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 96
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gontar
Gontar appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,895 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 4,895 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 Gontar 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 | #157,234 | #152,339 | 3.1% |
| Count | 103 | 106 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gontar bearers went from 103 to 106 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 4,895 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,339.
FAQ
Gontar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gontar?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Gontar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Gontar?
Gontar ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Gontar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Gontar.
Has Gontar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gontar went from 103 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Gontar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gontar, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Gontar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gontar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Black (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Gontar (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 Gontar mean?
A topographic surname derived from a regional dialect word meaning "bent path" or "winding road." 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 Gontar (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 have the last name Gontar?
Find out how many people are called Gontar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.