2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gutenberg
A surname derived from the German town of Gutenberg, meaning "good hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Gutenberg. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gutenberg 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Gutenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gutenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gutenberg
The surname Gutenberg originated in the German region of Rhineland-Palatinate, specifically in the town of Mainz, during the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the German words "gut" meaning "good" and "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill". The name likely referred to a person who lived on or near a fertile hill or mountain.
The earliest known record of the name Gutenberg dates back to the late 14th century, appearing in various manuscripts and legal documents from the city of Mainz. One significant historical reference is Johannes Gutenberg, the renowned inventor of the movable-type printing press, who was born around 1400 in Mainz. His revolutionary invention played a crucial role in the spread of knowledge and the Renaissance era.
Another notable figure bearing the Gutenberg surname was Johann Gutenberg, a German printer and publisher who lived in the late 15th century. He is believed to have been a relative of Johannes Gutenberg and played a role in the early development of the printing industry.
In the 16th century, the Gutenberg family expanded their presence to other parts of Germany, with records showing individuals with this surname in cities such as Frankfurt and Cologne. One notable member from this period was Johann Gutenberg, a German composer and organist who lived from 1587 to 1635 and contributed to the development of Lutheran church music.
During the 17th century, a branch of the Gutenberg family settled in the Netherlands, where they adopted the Dutch spelling "Goudenberg". One prominent figure from this era was Pieter van Goudenberg, a Dutch Golden Age painter who lived from 1622 to 1697 and was known for his still-life and portrait paintings.
In the 18th century, the Gutenberg surname continued to be found in various German-speaking regions, with records showing individuals in areas such as Bavaria and Saxony. One notable figure from this period was Johann Christoph Gutenberg, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1722 to 1799 and contributed to the field of natural theology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gutenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Gutenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gutenberg 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 Gutenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gutenberg
Gutenberg 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,384 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,423 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,384 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,423 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 Gutenberg 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 | #152,628 | #150,205 | 1.6% |
| Count | 107 | 109 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gutenberg bearers went from 107 to 109 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,423 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #150,205.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gutenberg
FAQ
Gutenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gutenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Gutenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Gutenberg?
Gutenberg ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Gutenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Gutenberg.
Has Gutenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gutenberg went from 107 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Gutenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gutenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Gutenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gutenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Gutenberg (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 Gutenberg mean?
A surname derived from the German town of Gutenberg, meaning "good hill." 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 Gutenberg (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 are called Gutenberg?
Find out how many people are called Gutenberg on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.