2000
#11,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,636
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Ganz
A German and Jewish surname derived from the Middle High German word "ganz," meaning "whole" or "complete."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,027 Americans carry the last name Ganz. That puts it at #11,409 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ganz 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
3.0K
1 in 113,232
Census rank
#11,409
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,640 bearers of the surname Ganz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11409th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ganz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ganz
The surname Ganz originated in Germany and Austria, deriving from the German word "ganz" meaning "whole" or "complete." It is believed to have emerged as a surname around the 13th century, initially used to describe someone who was physically whole or uninjured, or perhaps as a nickname for someone of strong character or integrity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ganz can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Austriaco-Frisingensis, a collection of historical documents from the Archdiocese of Salzburg and the Duchy of Bavaria, dating back to the 12th century. The name is also mentioned in various medieval records and manuscripts from the German-speaking regions of Europe.
In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Johann Ganz, a prominent merchant and banker in the city of Nuremberg, who played a significant role in the economic and political affairs of the region. Another historical figure was Hans Ganz, a Swiss painter and engraver who lived in the 15th century and was known for his intricate woodcuts depicting religious and mythological scenes.
During the 16th century, the Ganz surname appeared in the records of the Holy Roman Empire, with several individuals bearing the name serving as advisors and officials in various courts and principalities. One such person was Hieronymus Ganz, a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a councilor to the Emperor Maximilian II.
In the 18th century, Johann Baptist Ganz was a renowned German composer and organist, known for his contributions to the development of the classical music tradition in his native country. Another notable figure was Friedrich Ganz, a German philosopher and writer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and whose works explored themes of morality and ethics.
In the 19th century, the Ganz family played a significant role in the industrial revolution, with the establishment of the Ganz Works, a major engineering and manufacturing company based in Budapest, Hungary. Founded by Abraham Ganz, the company became a leading producer of railway equipment, machinery, and other industrial products, contributing to the economic growth and development of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable bearers of the surname Ganz, which has been present in various regions of Europe for centuries and has contributed to various fields, including commerce, arts, law, and industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ganz
Among Census respondents with the surname Ganz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ganz 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 Ganz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,430
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 114
- Two or more races2.3% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ganz
Ganz 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
#11,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,739
+103 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 428 places
2020
#11,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,640
-99 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 79 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,060 | 2,636 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,488 | 2,739 | 0.93 | +103 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 428 places |
| 2020 | #11,409 | 2,640 | 0.88 | -99 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 79 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 Ganz 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 | #11,488 | #11,409 | 0.7% |
| Count | 2,739 | 2,640 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.88 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ganz bearers went from 2,739 to 2,640 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 79 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,488 to #11,409.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ganz
FAQ
Ganz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ganz?
Name Census estimates that about 3,027 living Americans carry the surname Ganz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,232 residents.
How common is Ganz?
Ganz ranks #11,409 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 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 2,640 people with the surname Ganz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 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 Ganz.
Has Ganz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ganz went from 2,739 recorded bearers to 2,640. That is a decrease of 99 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,488 to #11,409.
What does the Census say about the background of Ganz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ganz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Ganz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,430 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ganz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Ganz (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 Ganz mean?
A German and Jewish surname derived from the Middle High German word "ganz," meaning "whole" or "complete." 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 Ganz (0.88 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 Ganz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.