2000
#20,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Gude
A German surname derived from the word "gut", meaning good or virtuous.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,594 Americans carry the last name Gude. That puts it at #19,461 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 215,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gude 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gude with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.6K
1 in 215,028
Census rank
#19,461
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,390 bearers of the surname Gude in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19461st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gude, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.0%. The next largest groups are Black (31.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gude
The surname Gude is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "guot," meaning "good" or "virtuous." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was considered to possess admirable qualities or moral character.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gude can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during this period, and possibly even earlier.
In the 14th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Gude residing in the town of Göttingen, located in Lower Saxony, Germany. This may indicate that the name had a regional concentration in this area during that time.
The name Gude also appeared in various other historical records throughout Germany, such as land registers, tax rolls, and church records. For instance, a certain Johann Gude was mentioned in a legal document from the city of Cologne in the 16th century.
One notable figure with the surname Gude was Marquard Gude, a German scholar and philologist who lived from 1635 to 1689. He was known for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Latin literature, and served as a professor at the University of Helmstedt.
Another individual of note was Johann Christian Gude, a German theologian and writer who lived from 1674 to 1758. He held several academic positions, including that of a professor at the University of Erfurt.
In the 18th century, a German poet and writer named Christian Gottlob Gude gained recognition for his works, which included plays, fables, and satires. He lived from 1732 to 1798.
The name Gude also found its way to other parts of Europe, as evidenced by the existence of individuals such as Willem Gude, a Dutch Golden Age painter active in the 17th century, who specialized in depicting landscapes and seascapes.
Additionally, there was a German-born American painter named Hans Gude, who lived from 1825 to 1903. He is renowned for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting Norwegian fjords and mountainous regions.
While the surname Gude may have evolved or been adapted over time in different regions, its origins can be traced back to the German language and the Middle Ages, with a possible connotation of virtue or goodness associated with its meaning.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gude
Among Census respondents with the surname Gude, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.0%. The next largest groups are Black (31.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gude 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 Gude surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White45.0% · 626
- Black or African American31.4% · 437
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.0% · 153
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 103
- Two or more races4.7% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gude
Gude 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
#20,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,281
+78 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Down 167 places
2020
#19,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,390
+109 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 1,203 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,497 | 1,203 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,664 | 1,281 | 0.43 | +78 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 167 places |
| 2020 | #19,461 | 1,390 | 0.47 | +109 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 1,203 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 Gude 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 | #20,664 | #19,461 | 5.8% |
| Count | 1,281 | 1,390 | 8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.43 | 0.47 | 8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gude bearers went from 1,281 to 1,390 (+8.5% change). The surname moved up 1,203 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,664 to #19,461.
FAQ
Gude surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gude?
Name Census estimates that about 1,594 living Americans carry the surname Gude. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 215,028 residents.
How common is Gude?
Gude ranks #19,461 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.47 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 1,390 people with the surname Gude. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,594), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.47 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 Gude.
Has Gude become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gude went from 1,281 recorded bearers to 1,390. That is an increase of 109 (+8.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,664 to #19,461.
What does the Census say about the background of Gude?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gude, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.0%. The next largest groups are Black (31.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.0%). 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 Gude in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.0% (626 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gude appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (45.0%), Black (31.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.0%). 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 Gude (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 Gude mean?
A German surname derived from the word "gut", meaning good or virtuous. 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 Gude (0.47 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 Gude?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Gude, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.