2000
#113,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gurgul
A Polish surname derived from the Ukrainian word "gurhal", meaning a maker of ceramic pots or jugs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Gurgul. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gurgul 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Gurgul in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurgul, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gurgul
The surname Gurgul has its origins in the Silesian region of southwestern Poland, dating back to the late 15th century. Its roots can be traced back to the Polish word "gurg," meaning "throat" or "gullet," suggesting a possible connection to professions involving the throat or voice, such as singers or town criers.
In the early years of its existence, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Gurgul, Gurgull, and Gurgol, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname can be found in the parish records of the village of Strzelce Opolskie, where a certain Jan Gurgul was listed as a resident in 1496.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Gurgul name appeared sporadically in various historical documents across Silesia, reflecting the gradual spread of the family across the region. Notable examples include Andrzej Gurgul, a farmer from the village of Sławięcice, mentioned in a land registry from 1612, and Maciej Gurgul, a weaver from the town of Grodków, whose name appears in a guild record from 1678.
As the centuries passed, the Gurgul surname spread beyond the boundaries of Silesia, carried by families seeking new opportunities or fleeing the turmoil of wars and conflicts that plagued the region. One notable figure was Katarzyna Gurgul (1765-1832), a renowned herbalist and healer from the village of Żywiec in southern Poland, whose expertise in traditional medicine earned her widespread recognition.
Another prominent individual was Józef Gurgul (1809-1879), a Polish patriot and soldier who fought in the November Uprising against Russian rule in 1830-1831. After the defeat of the uprising, he spent several years in exile before returning to his homeland, where he became a respected teacher and historian, documenting the struggle for Polish independence.
In the 20th century, the name Gurgul continued to be found throughout Poland, with individuals such as Jan Gurgul (1914-1997), a prolific author and journalist who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the Silesian region, and Maria Gurgul (1921-2003), a celebrated opera singer who performed on stages across Europe and North America.
While the Gurgul surname may not be as widespread as some others, its rich history and deep roots in the Silesian region of Poland make it a fascinating example of the enduring legacy of family names and their ability to connect us with the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gurgul
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurgul, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gurgul 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 Gurgul surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino8.8% · 10
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gurgul
Gurgul 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-13 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,091 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-17 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,611 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #113,519 | 143 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 17,091 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 16,611 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 Gurgul 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 | #130,610 | #147,221 | -12.7% |
| Count | 130 | 113 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gurgul bearers went from 130 to 113 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 16,611 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #147,221.
FAQ
Gurgul surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gurgul?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Gurgul. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Gurgul?
Gurgul ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Gurgul. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Gurgul.
Has Gurgul become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gurgul went from 130 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Gurgul?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurgul, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Gurgul in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gurgul appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (8.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Gurgul (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 Gurgul mean?
A Polish surname derived from the Ukrainian word "gurhal", meaning a maker of ceramic pots or jugs. 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 Gurgul (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 Americans have the surname Gurgul?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.