2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gwidt
A surname possibly derived from a Welsh place name or location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 169 Americans carry the last name Gwidt. That puts it at #123,144 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,028,132 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gwidt 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
169
1 in 2,028,132
Census rank
#123,144
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
147
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 147 bearers of the surname Gwidt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 123144th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwidt, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gwidt
The surname "Gwidt" originated in Germany during the late medieval period, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "gwit," which means "strong" or "mighty." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was physically powerful or had a commanding presence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Gwidt" can be found in a 14th-century document from the town of Augsburg, where a certain Hans Gwidt is mentioned as a landowner. This indicates that the name had already gained some prominence in the area by that time.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various records across southern Germany, often associated with individuals involved in trades or occupations that required physical strength, such as blacksmithing or construction. For example, a Hans Gwidt is listed as a master builder in the city of Nuremberg in 1472.
The name "Gwidt" also has a connection to several place names in Germany, particularly in the state of Bavaria. The village of Gwidt, located near the town of Ingolstadt, is believed to have derived its name from an early settler or landowner bearing this surname. Additionally, there are records of a family named Gwidt owning land and property in the nearby town of Abensberg in the 16th century.
One notable figure with the surname "Gwidt" was Johann Gwidt, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (1567-1627). He made significant contributions to the development of logarithms and was a respected scholar at the University of Tübingen.
Another individual of historical significance was Georg Gwidt (1592-1668), a German military leader who served as a general in the Thirty Years' War. He played a crucial role in several battles and was known for his strategic prowess on the battlefield.
In the 18th century, the name "Gwidt" can be found in records from the city of Munich, where a family of merchants and traders bearing this surname established themselves as influential members of the local community. One such individual was Michael Gwidt (1732-1804), who was a successful businessman and philanthropist.
As the centuries progressed, the surname "Gwidt" spread beyond Germany, with some individuals bearing this name migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in southern Germany, where it originated as a descriptor of physical strength and power.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gwidt
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwidt, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Gwidt 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 Gwidt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 147
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gwidt
Gwidt 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
#120,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
+22 bearers (+18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,610 places
2020
#123,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
+3 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 2,957 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,187 | 144 | 0.05 | +22 bearers (+18.0%) | Up 8,610 places |
| 2020 | #123,144 | 147 | 0.05 | +3 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 2,957 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 Gwidt 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 | #120,187 | #123,144 | -2.5% |
| Count | 144 | 147 | 2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gwidt bearers went from 144 to 147 (+2.1% change). The surname moved down 2,957 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,187 to #123,144.
FAQ
Gwidt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gwidt?
Name Census estimates that about 169 living Americans carry the surname Gwidt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,028,132 residents.
How common is Gwidt?
Gwidt ranks #123,144 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 147 people with the surname Gwidt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Gwidt.
Has Gwidt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gwidt went from 144 recorded bearers to 147. That is an increase of 3 (+2.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,187 to #123,144.
What does the Census say about the background of Gwidt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwidt, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Gwidt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (147 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gwidt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Gwidt (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 Gwidt mean?
A surname possibly derived from a Welsh place name or location. 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 Gwidt (0.05 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 common is the surname Gwidt?
Want to know how many people have the last name Gwidt? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.