2000
#12,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,241
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Gans
A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "gans," meaning "goose."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,358 Americans carry the last name Gans. That puts it at #14,032 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,358 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gans 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
2.4K
1 in 145,358
Census rank
#14,032
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,056 bearers of the surname Gans in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14032nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gans, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gans
The surname "GANS" is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "gans," meaning "goose." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who raised or traded in geese.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "GANS" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, Germany. In a charter dated 1187, a certain "Henricus Gans" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
The name "GANS" also appears in the Deeds of the City of Berlin, a historical record dating back to the 13th century. In an entry from 1274, a "Johannes Gans" is listed as a citizen of Berlin.
In the 14th century, the name "GANS" was associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Hermann Gans, a German chronicler and poet who lived from around 1330 to 1390. His work, known as the "Gans Chronicles," provides valuable insights into the history of the city of Magdeburg.
Another prominent person with the surname "GANS" was Konrad Gans, a German sculptor and architect who lived from approximately 1370 to 1439. He is best known for his work on the Cathedral of St. Vitus in Prague, which he helped design and construct.
In the 16th century, the name "GANS" was associated with David Gans, a Jewish scholar and astronomer who lived from 1541 to 1613. He was born in the town of Lippstadt, in what is now North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and is renowned for his contributions to the study of mathematics and astronomy.
The surname "GANS" can also be traced back to various place names in Germany, such as Gansau, Gansbach, and Ganshausen, which may have influenced the development of the name over time.
While the name "GANS" has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, it remains a prominent surname in German-speaking regions, carrying with it a rich history and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gans
Among Census respondents with the surname Gans, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gans 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 Gans surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 1,630
- Black or African American11.3% · 232
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 87
- Two or more races3.6% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gans
Gans 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
#12,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,429
+188 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 54 places
2020
#14,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,056
-373 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 1,321 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,657 | 2,241 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,711 | 2,429 | 0.82 | +188 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 54 places |
| 2020 | #14,032 | 2,056 | 0.69 | -373 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 1,321 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 Gans 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 | #12,711 | #14,032 | -10.4% |
| Count | 2,429 | 2,056 | -15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.69 | -16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gans bearers went from 2,429 to 2,056 (-15.4% change). The surname moved down 1,321 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,711 to #14,032.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gans
FAQ
Gans surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gans?
Name Census estimates that about 2,358 living Americans carry the surname Gans. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,358 residents.
How common is Gans?
Gans ranks #14,032 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,056 people with the surname Gans. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,358), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gans.
Has Gans become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gans went from 2,429 recorded bearers to 2,056. That is a decrease of 373 (-15.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,711 to #14,032.
What does the Census say about the background of Gans?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gans, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Gans in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (1,630 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gans appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Black (11.3%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Gans (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 Gans mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "gans," meaning "goose." 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 Gans (0.69 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 Gans?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Gans on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.