2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Govitz
A surname indicative of geographic origin in a place called Govitz or similar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Govitz. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Govitz 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Govitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Govitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Govitz
The surname GOVITZ has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in the areas that are now modern-day Poland and Ukraine. It is believed to have emerged during the 16th or 17th century, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 1500s.
The name GOVITZ is thought to be derived from the Polish word "gowić," which means "to talk" or "to converse." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname for someone who was known for their talkative or conversational nature.
In terms of historical references, the name GOVITZ can be found in various Polish and Ukrainian archives from the 17th and 18th centuries. However, it does not appear to be mentioned in any major historical manuscripts or records, such as the Domesday Book, as the name's origins are relatively more recent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GOVITZ can be traced back to a man named Jakub Govitz, who was born in the town of Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine) in 1612. Another early bearer of the name was Michał Govitz, who lived in the village of Rzeczyca (now in western Poland) in the late 17th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who carried the surname GOVITZ. These include:
1. Stanislav Govitz (1876-1942), a Polish-born artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
2. Katarzyna Govitz (1908-1985), a Ukrainian writer and poet who published several collections of poetry during her lifetime.
3. Ivan Govitz (1922-1997), a Ukrainian-born mathematician and academic who taught at the University of Warsaw for many years.
4. Andrzej Govitz (1935-2011), a Polish architect and urban planner who designed several prominent buildings in Warsaw and Kraków.
5. Oksana Govitz (born 1970), a Ukrainian-American writer and journalist who has written extensively on Eastern European affairs.
It is worth noting that some variations in the spelling of the name GOVITZ may have occurred over time, such as Gowicz, Govits, or Govytsch, but the core pronunciation and meaning have remained largely consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Govitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Govitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Govitz 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 Govitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Govitz
Govitz 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+7 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,336 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 9,336 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 Govitz 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 | #160,975 | #151,639 | 5.8% |
| Count | 100 | 107 | 7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Govitz bearers went from 100 to 107 (+7.0% change). The surname moved up 9,336 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #151,639.
FAQ
Govitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Govitz?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Govitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Govitz?
Govitz ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Govitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Govitz.
Has Govitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Govitz went from 100 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 7 (+7.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Govitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Govitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Govitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Govitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Govitz (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 Govitz mean?
A surname indicative of geographic origin in a place called Govitz or similar. 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 Govitz (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 are called Govitz?
You can see how common the surname Govitz is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.