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

Guss, 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 Guss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Guss in America

Guss is the 15658th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Guss surname appeared 1,865 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Guss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Guss 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 Guss

The surname GUSS is believed to have originated in Germany, where it first appeared as a variation of the name GOSS or GOSSE. The name likely derived from the Old High German word "gos," meaning "a pour" or "to pour," suggesting that the original bearers of this name may have been associated with pouring or casting metal.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GUSS can be found in the records of the town of Goslar, located in Lower Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name was often spelled as "Gosse" or "Gotz" during this period.

In the 16th century, the name GUSS began to appear in various historical records across Germany, including the Duchy of Prussia, where it was often associated with metalworkers and foundry workers. Notable individuals from this time period include Johann Guss (1500-1572), a renowned blacksmith from Nuremberg.

As the name spread throughout Germany and into neighboring regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Gusz, Gusse, and Gussmann. One notable bearer of this name was Johann Heinrich Guss (1726-1798), a German painter and engraver from Saxony.

In the 19th century, the GUSS surname began to appear in records outside of Germany, particularly in the United States and Canada, as a result of immigration. One prominent individual from this era was Adolphus Guss (1820-1888), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Guss Baking Company in St. Louis, Missouri.

Other notable individuals with the surname GUSS include:

1. Wilhelm Guss (1849-1923), a German architect and urban planner known for his work in Berlin.
2. Frederick Guss (1858-1934), an American businessman and real estate developer in Chicago.
3. Gustav Guss (1872-1942), a German-American artist and illustrator known for his etchings and lithographs.
4. Ernst Guss (1882-1957), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City.
5. Heinz Guss (1905-1995), a German film actor and director active during the Golden Age of German cinema.

While the surname GUSS may have evolved from humble beginnings associated with metalworking and foundries, it has since become a widely recognizable name across various parts of the world, with bearers making significant contributions in fields ranging from business and architecture to art and entertainment.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Guss

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

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 Guss 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 Guss 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 Guss was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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