2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gysel
A surname derived from the Old German personal name Gisil or Giselbert.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Gysel. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gysel 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Gysel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gysel, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (7.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gysel
The surname GYSEL originated in the region of Flanders, which spans across parts of modern-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name GYSEL is believed to have derived from the Old Flemish or Old Dutch personal name "Gisil" or "Giselbrecht," which was composed of the Germanic elements "gisel" meaning "hostage" or "pledge" and "brecht" meaning "bright" or "shining." These names were relatively common in medieval Flanders and the Low Countries.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname GYSEL can be found in the Flemish city of Ghent's municipal records from the early 14th century. In these documents, individuals bearing the name GYSEL were listed as prominent citizens and landowners in the area.
During the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the GYSEL family had established a notable presence in various Flemish cities and towns, including Bruges, Antwerp, and Mechelen. Several members of the GYSEL lineage held positions of importance in local governments, trade guilds, and religious institutions.
Notable individuals with the surname GYSEL throughout history include:
1. Jan GYSEL (c. 1550-1616), a Flemish painter active in Antwerp during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, known for his religious and allegorical works.
2. Pieter GYSEL (c. 1620-1675), a Flemish sculptor and architect who worked extensively in Bruges, contributing to the city's baroque architectural style.
3. Joanna GYSEL (c. 1670-1742), a renowned lace maker from Bruges whose intricate and delicate creations were highly sought after by European nobility and affluent patrons.
4. Wilfried GYSEL (1919-2005), a Belgian historian and author who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Flanders, particularly during the medieval and early modern periods.
5. Luc GYSEL (1942-2017), a prominent Belgian businessman and philanthropist, who made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and cultural institutions in his home country.
While the surname GYSEL has its roots in Flanders, over the centuries it has spread to other parts of Europe and the world, carried by migrants and descendants of the original Flemish families bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gysel
Among Census respondents with the surname Gysel, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (7.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gysel 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 Gysel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 9
- Two or more races7.8% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gysel
Gysel 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,714 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,714 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Gysel 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 | #140,157 | #145,757 | -4.0% |
| Count | 119 | 115 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gysel bearers went from 119 to 115 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #145,757.
FAQ
Gysel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gysel?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Gysel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Gysel?
Gysel ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Gysel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Gysel.
Has Gysel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gysel went from 119 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Gysel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gysel, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (7.8%). 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 Gysel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gysel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Hispanic (7.8%), Two or More Races (7.8%). 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 Gysel (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 Gysel mean?
A surname derived from the Old German personal name Gisil or Giselbert. 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 Gysel (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 people share the surname Gysel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.