2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Gebeau
A French surname likely derived from the French word beau meaning handsome or beautiful.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Gebeau. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gebeau 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Gebeau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gebeau
The surname GEBEAU has its origins in France, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "gebuer," which means to till or cultivate the land. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with those who worked as farmers or laborers in the agricultural sector.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname GEBEAU can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of France, such as Normandy and Brittany. In ancient records, the name often appeared with slight variations in spelling, including Gebault, Gebaut, and Gebaud.
One notable historical reference to the name GEBEAU can be found in the Livre des Métiers, a 13th-century manuscript that documented various trades and occupations in Paris. This record mentions individuals bearing the name GEBEAU, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and agricultural work.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname GEBEAU was Jean GEBEAU, a farmer who lived in the village of Beaumont-sur-Oise, near Paris, in the late 13th century. Another early bearer of the name was Pierre GEBEAU, a landowner from the Normandy region, who was born around 1320.
In the 15th century, a notable figure with the surname GEBEAU was Jacques GEBEAU (1425-1492), a respected scholar and theologian from the city of Reims. He was known for his contributions to the field of canon law and served as a professor at the University of Paris.
During the 16th century, the GEBEAU surname gained prominence in the region of Burgundy. One noteworthy individual from this period was Claude GEBEAU (1548-1612), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Dijon, including the Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne.
Another significant figure with the surname GEBEAU was François GEBEAU (1615-1682), a prominent merchant and financier from Paris. He played a crucial role in the development of the French East India Company and amassed considerable wealth through his international trade ventures.
As the centuries passed, the GEBEAU name continued to be associated with various professions and locations across France. While the surname may have originated from humble agricultural roots, it has since been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, contributing to the rich tapestry of French history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gebeau
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gebeau 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 Gebeau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gebeau
Gebeau 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
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-3 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 3,443 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 Gebeau 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 | #159,712 | #156,269 | 2.2% |
| Count | 101 | 98 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gebeau bearers went from 101 to 98 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 3,443 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #156,269.
FAQ
Gebeau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gebeau?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Gebeau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Gebeau?
Gebeau ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Gebeau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Gebeau.
Has Gebeau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gebeau went from 101 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 3 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Gebeau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Gebeau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gebeau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Hispanic (1.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Gebeau (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 Gebeau mean?
A French surname likely derived from the French word beau meaning handsome or beautiful. 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 Gebeau (0.03 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 last name Gebeau?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Gebeau at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.