2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gasu
An Occitan surname thought to be derived from the French word "guet" meaning "watch" or "guard".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Gasu. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gasu 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Gasu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gasu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 42.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (23.7%) and Black (21.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gasu
The surname GASU is believed to have originated in India, with its roots tracing back to the 15th century. It is thought to derive from the Sanskrit word "gasu," which meant "to breathe" or "to live." This connection suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals involved in spiritual or religious practices that emphasized breath control, such as yoga or meditation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GASU name can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts from the region that is now the Indian state of Gujarat. These documents mention individuals with the surname GASU serving as priests, scholars, and spiritual advisors within various temples and ashrams.
In the 16th century, the GASU name appears in records of the Mughal Empire, with several individuals bearing this surname holding positions of influence within the imperial court. One notable figure was Ranjit GASU, a trusted advisor to the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who lived from 1542 to 1605.
As the centuries passed, members of the GASU family continued to make their mark in various fields. In the 18th century, Govind GASU, born in 1712, was a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
The 19th century saw the rise of Laxmi GASU, a prominent social reformer and activist who fought for women's rights and education in India. She lived from 1828 to 1890 and is celebrated for her efforts in challenging traditional gender roles and advocating for societal change.
In more recent history, Vikram GASU, born in 1924, was a celebrated author and playwright whose works explored themes of identity, culture, and the human condition. His plays were widely acclaimed and continue to be studied and performed to this day.
While the GASU name has its origins in India, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with descendants of the original GASU families now residing in countries across multiple continents. However, the historical significance and cultural connections of this surname remain deeply rooted in the Indian subcontinent, where it has left an indelible mark over centuries of remarkable contributions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gasu
Among Census respondents with the surname Gasu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 42.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (23.7%) and Black (21.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gasu 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 Gasu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander42.4% · 50
- Two or more races23.7% · 28
- Black or African American21.2% · 25
- White9.3% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gasu
Gasu 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
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,690 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 2,690 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 Gasu 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 | #146,201 | #143,511 | 1.8% |
| Count | 113 | 118 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gasu bearers went from 113 to 118 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 2,690 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #143,511.
FAQ
Gasu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gasu?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Gasu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Gasu?
Gasu ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Gasu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Gasu.
Has Gasu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gasu went from 113 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 5 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Gasu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gasu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 42.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (23.7%) and Black (21.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gasu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 42.4% (50 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gasu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (42.4%), Two or More Races (23.7%), Black (21.2%). 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 Gasu (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 Gasu mean?
An Occitan surname thought to be derived from the French word "guet" meaning "watch" or "guard". 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 Gasu (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 share the surname Gasu?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.