2000
#14,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,906
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Gabor
A Hungarian surname derived from a biblical name meaning "God is strong".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,181 Americans carry the last name Gabor. That puts it at #14,931 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 157,155 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gabor 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gabor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 157,155
Census rank
#14,931
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,902 bearers of the surname Gabor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14931st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gabor, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gabor
The surname Gabor originates from Hungary, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Hungarian word "gabor," which means "bountiful" or "abundant." The name was likely given to someone who owned a large amount of land or wealth.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Gabor can be found in a Hungarian census from 1275, where it is spelled "Gabor." Over time, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Gabour" and "Gábor," but the original form eventually became the standard.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Gabor was Gábor Bethlen (1580-1629), a Prince of Transylvania who played a significant role in the Thirty Years' War. He was a skilled military leader and a patron of education and the arts.
Another important historical figure was Ágoston Gábor (1609-1678), a Hungarian Jesuit priest and astronomer. He is renowned for his contributions to the field of astronomy and for his work in calculating the dates of Easter.
In the 19th century, József Gábor (1800-1858) was a prominent Hungarian politician and writer who served as the Minister of Justice and Education. He was also a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and played a role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.
The surname Gabor also has ties to the world of entertainment. Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917-2016) was a Hungarian-American actress and socialite known for her glamorous lifestyle and numerous marriages. She was one of the most famous celebrities of her time and appeared in numerous films and television shows.
Another notable figure was Dennis Gabor (1900-1979), a Hungarian-British physicist and inventor who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971 for his work on holography. His pioneering research laid the foundation for the development of modern holography and had a significant impact on the field of optics.
Throughout history, the surname Gabor has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including royalty, clergy, politicians, scientists, and entertainers. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Hungary, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the diverse and rich cultural heritage of those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gabor
Among Census respondents with the surname Gabor, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gabor 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 Gabor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 1,675
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 75
- Two or more races2.0% · 38
- Black or African American0.8% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gabor
Gabor 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
#15,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,896
-10 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 1,054 places
2020
#14,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,902
+6 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 518 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,395 | 1,906 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,449 | 1,896 | 0.64 | -10 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 1,054 places |
| 2020 | #14,931 | 1,902 | 0.64 | +6 bearers (+0.3%) | Up 518 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 Gabor 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 | #15,449 | #14,931 | 3.4% |
| Count | 1,896 | 1,902 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.64 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gabor bearers went from 1,896 to 1,902 (+0.3% change). The surname moved up 518 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,449 to #14,931.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gabor
FAQ
Gabor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gabor?
Name Census estimates that about 2,181 living Americans carry the surname Gabor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 157,155 residents.
How common is Gabor?
Gabor ranks #14,931 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,902 people with the surname Gabor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,181), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Gabor.
Has Gabor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gabor went from 1,896 recorded bearers to 1,902. That is an increase of 6 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,449 to #14,931.
What does the Census say about the background of Gabor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gabor, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Gabor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (1,675 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gabor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Gabor (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 Gabor mean?
A Hungarian surname derived from a biblical name meaning "God is strong". 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 Gabor (0.64 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 Gabor?
See how many people have the surname Gabor on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.