2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gebregiorgis
An Ethiopian surname meaning "servant of George" or "son of George".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 250 Americans carry the last name Gebregiorgis. That puts it at #90,848 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,371,017 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gebregiorgis 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
250
1 in 1,371,017
Census rank
#90,848
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
218
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 218 bearers of the surname Gebregiorgis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 90848th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebregiorgis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gebregiorgis
The surname GEBREGIORGIS originates from Ethiopia and is a combination of two Amharic words: "gebr" meaning servant or slave, and "giorgis" which is the Amharic form of the name George. This suggests that the name may have been derived from a person who was a servant or slave associated with someone named George.
The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in Ethiopia, when the use of compound surnames incorporating personal names and titles or occupations became more common. It is possible that an early bearer of this surname was a servant or attendant to a prominent individual named George or Giorgis.
There are few historical records that directly reference the surname GEBREGIORGIS, as written documentation in Ethiopia during the medieval and earlier periods was relatively limited. However, some of the earliest known examples of the name can be found in church records and local chronicles from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Gebregiorgis Wolde, a prominent scholar and theologian who lived in the late 16th century. He was known for his contributions to the field of Ge'ez literature and his works on religious subjects.
Another notable figure was Gebregiorgis Haylu, a military leader and commander who played a significant role in the Ethiopian-Adal War during the 16th century. He was instrumental in several victories against the forces of the Adal Sultanate.
In the 18th century, Gebregiorgis Desta was a respected religious leader and abbot of the Debre Libanos monastery, one of the most important monasteries in Ethiopia. He is credited with contributing to the preservation and promotion of Ethiopian Orthodox traditions and teachings.
During the 19th century, Gebregiorgis Gebre Medhin was a prominent diplomat and served as an ambassador for the Ethiopian Empire to several European countries, including France and Italy. He played a crucial role in establishing diplomatic relationships and representing Ethiopia's interests abroad.
Another individual of historical significance was Gebregiorgis Wolde Mikael, a renowned scholar and linguist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was instrumental in the documentation and preservation of the Ge'ez language and ancient Ethiopian literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gebregiorgis
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebregiorgis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gebregiorgis 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 Gebregiorgis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.9% · 209
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 3
- Two or more races1.4% · 3
- White0.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gebregiorgis
Gebregiorgis 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
#90,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 218
+93 bearers (+74.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 43,864 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #90,848 | 218 | 0.07 | +93 bearers (+74.4%) | Up 43,864 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 Gebregiorgis 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 | #134,712 | #90,848 | 32.6% |
| Count | 125 | 218 | 74.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.07 | 82.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gebregiorgis bearers went from 125 to 218 (+74.4% change). The surname moved up 43,864 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #90,848.
FAQ
Gebregiorgis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gebregiorgis?
Name Census estimates that about 250 living Americans carry the surname Gebregiorgis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,371,017 residents.
How common is Gebregiorgis?
Gebregiorgis ranks #90,848 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 218 people with the surname Gebregiorgis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (250), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Gebregiorgis.
Has Gebregiorgis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gebregiorgis went from 125 recorded bearers to 218. That is an increase of 93 (+74.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #134,712 to #90,848.
What does the Census say about the background of Gebregiorgis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebregiorgis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Gebregiorgis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (209 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gebregiorgis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (95.9%), Hispanic (1.4%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Gebregiorgis (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 Gebregiorgis mean?
An Ethiopian surname meaning "servant of George" or "son of George". 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 Gebregiorgis (0.07 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 Gebregiorgis?
Find out how common the surname Gebregiorgis is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.