2000
#33,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 645
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Rare Last name
Gottschall
A German surname originating as a topographic name for someone who lived near a house belonging to an estate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,089 Americans carry the last name Gottschall. That puts it at #26,962 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 314,742 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gottschall 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
1.1K
1 in 314,742
Census rank
#26,962
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
950
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 950 bearers of the surname Gottschall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26962nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gottschall, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gottschall
The surname GOTTSCHALL is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, where it was derived from the Germanic words "gott," meaning "god," and "schall," meaning "sound" or "echo." This combination suggests an association with religious or ecclesiastical backgrounds.
The earliest recorded instances of the GOTTSCHALL name can be found in historical documents dating back to the 13th century. One notable mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the region of Saxony, which includes references to individuals bearing the GOTTSCHALL surname.
During the 15th century, the GOTTSCHALL name appeared in several records related to the city of Leipzig, indicating that families with this surname had established themselves in this important trade and cultural center of Saxony. One notable individual from this period was Hans GOTTSCHALL, a respected merchant and member of the Leipzig town council, who lived from 1420 to 1489.
As the centuries progressed, the GOTTSCHALL name spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. In the 17th century, Johann GOTTSCHALL (1600-1672), a prominent theologian and author from Silesia, gained recognition for his scholarly works on religious topics.
In the 19th century, Rudolf GOTTSCHALL (1823-1909), a German poet, novelist, and literary critic, became a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time. His works, which included numerous poems, novels, and critical essays, earned him widespread acclaim and recognition.
Another notable individual was Karl GOTTSCHALL (1847-1923), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design and construction of several landmark buildings and urban developments in cities such as Berlin and Dresden during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the GOTTSCHALL surname has its roots in Germany, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration. However, historical records and references to individuals bearing this surname are primarily concentrated in German-speaking regions and their respective archives and documents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gottschall
Among Census respondents with the surname Gottschall, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gottschall 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 Gottschall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 893
- Two or more races3.1% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 17
- Black or African American0.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gottschall
Gottschall 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
#89,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 206
-439 bearers (-68.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 56,373 places
2020
#26,962
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 950
+744 bearers (+361.2%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 62,791 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,380 | 645 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,753 | 206 | 0.07 | -439 bearers (-68.1%) | Down 56,373 places |
| 2020 | #26,962 | 950 | 0.32 | +744 bearers (+361.2%) | Up 62,791 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 Gottschall 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 | #89,753 | #26,962 | 70.0% |
| Count | 206 | 950 | 361.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.32 | 354.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gottschall bearers went from 206 to 950 (+361.2% change). The surname moved up 62,791 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,753 to #26,962.
FAQ
Gottschall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gottschall?
Name Census estimates that about 1,089 living Americans carry the surname Gottschall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 314,742 residents.
How common is Gottschall?
Gottschall ranks #26,962 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 950 people with the surname Gottschall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,089), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Gottschall.
Has Gottschall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gottschall went from 206 recorded bearers to 950. That is an increase of 744 (+361.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #89,753 to #26,962.
What does the Census say about the background of Gottschall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gottschall, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Gottschall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (893 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gottschall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Gottschall (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 Gottschall mean?
A German surname originating as a topographic name for someone who lived near a house belonging to an estate. 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 Gottschall (0.32 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 Gottschall?
Find out how many people have the surname Gottschall on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.