2010
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gebeyehu
A surname of Ethiopian origin indicating a person from the Gəbəyəhu region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 329 Americans carry the last name Gebeyehu. That puts it at #72,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,041,806 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gebeyehu 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
329
1 in 1,041,806
Census rank
#72,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
287
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 287 bearers of the surname Gebeyehu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 72902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebeyehu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.3%. The next largest groups are White (0.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gebeyehu
The surname GEBEYEHU is of Ethiopian origin, originating from the Amharic language spoken in Ethiopia. The name is believed to have its roots in the ancient Semitic languages of the region, with possible connections to the Arabic and Hebrew languages.
The name GEBEYEHU is likely derived from the Amharic words "gebey" meaning "mountain" or "highland" and "ehu" meaning "owner" or "possessor." Thus, the name GEBEYEHU could be interpreted as "owner of the mountain" or "one who possesses the highlands." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who owned or lived in mountainous or highland regions of Ethiopia.
Historical records indicate that the name GEBEYEHU has been in use for several centuries in Ethiopia. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Kebrā Negast, a 14th-century account of the legendary origins of the Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopia. The text mentions a figure named GEBEYEHU, who is said to have been a prominent figure in the royal court during that time.
Another notable figure with the surname GEBEYEHU was Abba GEBEYEHU, a 16th-century Ethiopian scholar and religious leader who played a significant role in the spread of Christianity in the region. He is credited with translating several religious texts from Ge'ez, the ancient Semitic language of Ethiopia, into Amharic, making them more accessible to the general population.
In the 19th century, GEBEYEHU Ayyalew was a renowned Ethiopian warrior and military leader who fought against the Mahdist conquest of Sudan. He is celebrated for his bravery and tactical skills in defending the northern territories of Ethiopia during this period of conflict.
Another notable figure is GEBEYEHU Baykedagn, a 20th-century Ethiopian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie. He played a crucial role in representing Ethiopia on the international stage and was instrumental in securing the country's membership in the United Nations in 1945.
One of the most famous bearers of the name GEBEYEHU in modern times is GEBEYEHU Ayele, an Ethiopian long-distance runner who won the bronze medal in the men's marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His achievement brought great pride and recognition to Ethiopia's athletic prowess on the global stage.
While the name GEBEYEHU has its roots in the highlands of Ethiopia, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical and cultural significance of the name remains strongly tied to its Ethiopian origins and the rich heritage of the Amharic language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gebeyehu
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebeyehu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.3%. The next largest groups are White (0.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gebeyehu 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 Gebeyehu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American98.3% · 282
- White0.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gebeyehu
Gebeyehu 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
#72,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 287
+155 bearers (+117.4%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 56,145 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #72,902 | 287 | 0.10 | +155 bearers (+117.4%) | Up 56,145 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 Gebeyehu 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 | #129,047 | #72,902 | 43.5% |
| Count | 132 | 287 | 117.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.10 | 140.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gebeyehu bearers went from 132 to 287 (+117.4% change). The surname moved up 56,145 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #72,902.
FAQ
Gebeyehu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gebeyehu?
Name Census estimates that about 329 living Americans carry the surname Gebeyehu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,041,806 residents.
How common is Gebeyehu?
Gebeyehu ranks #72,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 287 people with the surname Gebeyehu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (329), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Gebeyehu.
Has Gebeyehu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gebeyehu went from 132 recorded bearers to 287. That is an increase of 155 (+117.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #129,047 to #72,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Gebeyehu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebeyehu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.3%. The next largest groups are White (0.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%). 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 Gebeyehu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (282 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gebeyehu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (98.3%), White (0.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%). 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 Gebeyehu (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 Gebeyehu mean?
A surname of Ethiopian origin indicating a person from the Gəbəyəhu region. 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 Gebeyehu (0.10 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 Gebeyehu?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.