2000
#24,513
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 956
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Ge
A Chinese surname meaning "brother" or "son".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,604 Americans carry the last name Ge. That puts it at #9,828 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,104 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ge 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
3.6K
1 in 95,104
Census rank
#9,828
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,143 bearers of the surname Ge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9828th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ge, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Black (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ge
The surname "Ge" is believed to have originated in China, where it has been recorded since ancient times. One of the earliest mentions of this name can be found in the Book of Han, a historical text from the 1st century AD, which references a person named Ge Hong.
The name "Ge" is thought to be derived from the Chinese character "ge," which can mean various things depending on the context, including "root," "stem," or "branch." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near a particular type of plant or tree.
Another early recorded instance of the name "Ge" comes from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), where there was a famous poet named Ge Hong (688-727). His works were highly influential and are still studied today.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), there was a prominent scholar and philosopher named Ge Xuan (1023-1090), who made significant contributions to the Neo-Confucian movement.
In the late 14th century, a man named Ge Sheng (1330-1399) served as a high-ranking official in the Ming Dynasty government. He is remembered for his efforts to reform the imperial bureaucracy and promote meritocracy.
Fast-forwarding to the 20th century, one notable figure with the surname "Ge" was Ge Baoquan (1913-2008), a renowned Chinese playwright and screenwriter whose works often explored social issues and critiqued traditional values.
It's worth noting that while the surname "Ge" has a long history in China, it is relatively uncommon compared to some other Chinese surnames. This could be due to its association with specific regions or ethnic groups within the country.
Overall, the surname "Ge" has left its mark on Chinese history and culture through the contributions of scholars, artists, and officials over many centuries. Its origins can be traced back to ancient times, and it continues to be a recognizable name in modern China.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ge
Among Census respondents with the surname Ge, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Black (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ge 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 Ge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.7% · 2,913
- White4.3% · 136
- Black or African American1.3% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 29
- Two or more races0.7% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ge
Ge 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
#15,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,917
+961 bearers (+100.5%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 9,204 places
2020
#9,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,143
+1,226 bearers (+64.0%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 5,481 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,513 | 956 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,309 | 1,917 | 0.65 | +961 bearers (+100.5%) | Up 9,204 places |
| 2020 | #9,828 | 3,143 | 1.05 | +1,226 bearers (+64.0%) | Up 5,481 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 Ge 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 | #15,309 | #9,828 | 35.8% |
| Count | 1,917 | 3,143 | 64.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 1.05 | 61.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ge bearers went from 1,917 to 3,143 (+64.0% change). The surname moved up 5,481 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,309 to #9,828.
FAQ
Ge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ge?
Name Census estimates that about 3,604 living Americans carry the surname Ge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,104 residents.
How common is Ge?
Ge ranks #9,828 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,143 people with the surname Ge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,604), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Ge.
Has Ge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ge went from 1,917 recorded bearers to 3,143. That is an increase of 1,226 (+64.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,309 to #9,828.
What does the Census say about the background of Ge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ge, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Black (1.3%). 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 Ge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,913 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.7%), White (4.3%), Black (1.3%). 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 Ge (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 Ge mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "brother" or "son". 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 Ge (1.05 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 have the surname Ge?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.