2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Gossmann
A surname derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements "Gos" and "mann".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Gossmann. 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 Gossmann 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 Gossmann 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 Gossmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gossmann
The surname Gossmann is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the early medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "goz," meaning "a pourer" or "one who pours," which may have referred to an occupation or trade involving the pouring or dispensing of liquids, such as a brewer or innkeeper.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gossmann can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a 12th-century manuscript containing records of land transactions and property ownership in the region of Westphalia, Germany. This document mentions a certain "Gotzmannus de Buren," which translates to "Gossmann of Buren," suggesting that the name was already in use by that time.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Gossmann began to appear more frequently in various historical records across different regions of Germany. For instance, in 1287, a certain "Henricus Gossman" was mentioned in the annals of the city of Strasbourg, while in 1364, a "Conradus Gossman" was recorded as a citizen of the town of Münster.
One notable early bearer of the Gossmann surname was Johannes Gossmann, a German scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century. Born in 1435 in the city of Erfurt, Gossmann studied at the University of Leipzig and later became a professor of theology at the University of Erfurt, where he taught for many years until his death in 1501.
Another individual of historical significance with the Gossmann surname was Hans Gossmann, a German painter and engraver who lived during the 16th century. Born in Nuremberg in 1538, Gossmann is best known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings depicting religious scenes and portraits of notable figures of his time. His works can be found in several art collections across Europe.
In the 17th century, the Gossmann name was also associated with Johann Christoph Gossmann, a German composer and organist who lived from 1636 to 1704. Gossmann served as the court organist and composer for the Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg and is credited with composing numerous sacred and secular works, including cantatas and organ compositions.
While the name Gossmann has its roots in Germany, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond over the centuries, with variations in spelling and pronunciation occurring in different regions. However, its historical origins can be traced back to the early medieval period in Germany, where it was likely derived from an occupational or trade-related term associated with the pouring or dispensing of liquids.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gossmann
Among Census respondents with the surname Gossmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gossmann 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 Gossmann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 8
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gossmann
Gossmann 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
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,373 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 Gossmann 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 | #159,712 | #152,339 | 4.6% |
| Count | 101 | 106 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gossmann bearers went from 101 to 106 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,373 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,339.
FAQ
Gossmann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gossmann?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Gossmann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Gossmann?
Gossmann 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 Gossmann. 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 Gossmann.
Has Gossmann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gossmann went from 101 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Gossmann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gossmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Gossmann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gossmann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Hispanic (7.5%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Gossmann (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 Gossmann mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements "Gos" and "mann". 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 Gossmann (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 Gossmann?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.