Find out how popular the last name Guese is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Guese.

Guese, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Guese surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Guese in America

Guese is the 133863rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Guese surname appeared 126 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Guese.

We can also compare 2010 data for Guese to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Guese

The surname "GUESE" has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "gusen," which means "to gush" or "to pour." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a stream or river.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a document from the town of Neubrandenburg, located in the present-day state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The record, dated 1487, mentions a certain "Hans Guese" who was a local tradesman.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Guesse," "Guese," and "Gusche," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. One notable bearer of the name was Johann Guese (1522-1593), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony.

As the centuries progressed, the Guese family spread across different regions of Germany, with some members migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the town of Halle an der Saale, where they became influential merchants and landowners. One of the most prominent figures from this lineage was Friedrich Wilhelm Guese (1745-1817), a successful businessman and philanthropist.

Another notable figure was Karl Guese (1808-1876), a German philosopher and writer who lived in Berlin. He was known for his works on ethics and political philosophy, and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time.

In the 19th century, the name Guese can be found in various records across Europe, including birth, marriage, and death registers. For example, in 1845, a man named Johann Guese was born in the village of Köthen, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

As for place names associated with the surname, there is a small village called Guesen in the district of Helmstedt, Lower Saxony, Germany. While the origin of this place name is unclear, some historians speculate that it may be related to the surname Guese.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Guese

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Guese.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Guese was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Guese has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Guese was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Guese, please contact us.

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