2000
#94,227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 180
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Garas
A surname of Greek origin meaning "plentiful, abundant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 462 Americans carry the last name Garas. That puts it at #55,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 741,893 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garas 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
462
1 in 741,893
Census rank
#55,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
403
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 403 bearers of the surname Garas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garas, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garas
The surname Garas has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages, likely in the 9th or 10th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Basque word "gara," which means "peak" or "summit," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near or on a mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Garas surname can be found in the "Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla," a medieval manuscript dating back to the 10th century. This document mentions a certain "Didaco Garas," who was likely a landowner or nobleman in the region of La Rioja, Spain.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family named Garas residing in the town of Vitoria-Gasteiz, located in the Basque Country of northern Spain. This family may have been among the earliest bearers of the Garas surname and played a role in the development of the local community.
During the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Garas surname was Juan Garas, who was born in the town of Logroño in 1421. He was a renowned architect and master builder, responsible for the construction of several churches and monasteries in the region, including the Monasterio de Santa María de la Estrella.
In the 16th century, Pedro Garas (1506-1578) was a prominent Spanish scholar and theologian. He served as a professor at the University of Salamanca and authored several influential works on philosophy and theology.
Another notable individual was María Garas (1627-1702), who was a Basque poet and playwright. She is remembered for her contributions to the preservation of the Basque language and culture through her literary works.
Over the centuries, the Garas surname has been spelled in various ways, including Garaz, Garás, and Garash, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the areas where it was used.
While the Garas surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by emigrants and descendants of the original bearers. However, its rich history and Basque origins remain firmly rooted in the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garas
Among Census respondents with the surname Garas, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Garas 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 Garas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 347
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 18
- Two or more races4.0% · 16
- Black or African American3.5% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garas
Garas 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
#82,613
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 228
+48 bearers (+26.7%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 11,614 places
2020
#55,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 403
+175 bearers (+76.8%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 27,531 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #94,227 | 180 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,613 | 228 | 0.08 | +48 bearers (+26.7%) | Up 11,614 places |
| 2020 | #55,082 | 403 | 0.13 | +175 bearers (+76.8%) | Up 27,531 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 Garas 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 | #82,613 | #55,082 | 33.3% |
| Count | 228 | 403 | 76.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.13 | 68.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garas bearers went from 228 to 403 (+76.8% change). The surname moved up 27,531 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,613 to #55,082.
FAQ
Garas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garas?
Name Census estimates that about 462 living Americans carry the surname Garas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 741,893 residents.
How common is Garas?
Garas ranks #55,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 403 people with the surname Garas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (462), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Garas.
Has Garas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garas went from 228 recorded bearers to 403. That is an increase of 175 (+76.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #82,613 to #55,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Garas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garas, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Garas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (347 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Garas (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 Garas mean?
A surname of Greek origin meaning "plentiful, abundant". 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 Garas (0.13 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 Garas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.