2010
#78,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 245
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Gassama
A surname possibly of West African origin, meaning "farmer" or "cultivator".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 443 Americans carry the last name Gassama. That puts it at #57,050 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 773,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gassama 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
443
1 in 773,712
Census rank
#57,050
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
386
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 386 bearers of the surname Gassama in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 57050th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gassama, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gassama
The surname Gassama originates from West Africa, particularly in the countries of Senegal and Mali. It can be traced back to the 14th century, when the Gassama clan ruled over parts of the Wolof Empire in present-day Senegal.
The name is believed to be derived from the Wolof word "gass," which means "warrior" or "soldier." This suggests that the Gassama clan likely held a prominent military role within the empire during that period.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Gassama name can be found in the writings of Portuguese explorer Alvise Cadamosto, who visited the region in the 15th century. In his accounts, he described encountering a powerful ruler named Gassama, who controlled territories along the Gambia River.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Ousmane Gassama played a significant role in the resistance against French colonial forces in Senegal. He led a rebellion against the French in the region of Cayor and is remembered as a symbol of the Wolof people's struggle for independence.
Another prominent individual with the Gassama surname was Mamadou Gassama, a Senegalese diplomat and politician who served as the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) from 1964 to 1968.
In more recent history, Mamoudou Gassama (born 1996) gained international recognition in 2018 for his heroic act of scaling a building in Paris to rescue a child hanging from a balcony. His bravery was widely celebrated, and he was awarded French citizenship by President Emmanuel Macron.
Other notable individuals with the Gassama surname include Moussa Gassama (1940-1977), a Malian writer and filmmaker, and Fatou Gassama (born 1989), a Senegalese professional basketball player who has represented her country in international competitions.
Overall, the Gassama name has a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural traditions and struggles of West African nations, particularly Senegal and Mali. It has been carried by warriors, rulers, diplomats, artists, and everyday people throughout the centuries, reflecting the diverse experiences and resilience of the communities it represents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gassama
Among Census respondents with the surname Gassama, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gassama 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 Gassama surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.3% · 368
- White1.8% · 7
- Two or more races1.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gassama
Gassama appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#57,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 386
+141 bearers (+57.6%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 20,990 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #78,040 | 245 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #57,050 | 386 | 0.13 | +141 bearers (+57.6%) | Up 20,990 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 Gassama 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 | #78,040 | #57,050 | 26.9% |
| Count | 245 | 386 | 57.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.13 | 61.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gassama bearers went from 245 to 386 (+57.6% change). The surname moved up 20,990 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,040 to #57,050.
FAQ
Gassama surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gassama?
Name Census estimates that about 443 living Americans carry the surname Gassama. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 773,712 residents.
How common is Gassama?
Gassama ranks #57,050 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 386 people with the surname Gassama. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (443), 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 Gassama.
Has Gassama become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gassama went from 245 recorded bearers to 386. That is an increase of 141 (+57.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #78,040 to #57,050.
What does the Census say about the background of Gassama?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gassama, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gassama in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (368 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gassama appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (95.3%), White (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Gassama (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 Gassama mean?
A surname possibly of West African origin, meaning "farmer" or "cultivator". 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 Gassama (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 common is the surname Gassama?
Want to know how many people have the surname Gassama? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.