2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gebregziabher
An Amharic surname meaning "Servant of the Creator" or "Servant of God".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 225 Americans carry the last name Gebregziabher. That puts it at #98,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,523,353 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gebregziabher 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
225
1 in 1,523,353
Census rank
#98,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
196
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 196 bearers of the surname Gebregziabher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebregziabher, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gebregziabher
The surname GEBREGZIABHER originates from Ethiopia, with roots dating back to the ancient Semitic languages of the region. It is derived from the Ge'ez words "gebr" meaning servant and "egziabher" meaning God, thus translating to "servant of God."
The name is believed to have emerged during the early centuries of Christianity in the Ethiopian Empire, when many people adopted religious names to reflect their devotion to the faith. GEBREGZIABHER was likely used by individuals or families closely associated with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church or monastic communities.
Historical records from the medieval period in Ethiopia, such as the Kebra Nagast (the national epic) and various hagiographies, mention individuals bearing variations of the name GEBREGZIABHER, although specific dates and details are often obscure.
One of the earliest known references to the name is found in a 14th-century manuscript detailing the life of Saint Gebre Menfes Kidus, a renowned Ethiopian monk and scholar. The text mentions a figure named Gebregziabher, who was a disciple of the saint.
Another notable bearer of the name was Gebregziabher Weddaje, a 16th-century Ethiopian scholar and physician who served at the court of Emperor Gelawdewos. He is credited with translating several important medical texts from Arabic into Ge'ez.
In the 17th century, Gebregziabher Tinsae was a prominent Ethiopian painter and manuscript illuminator, renowned for his vibrant religious artworks adorning churches and monastic libraries.
During the 18th century, Gebregziabher Gelaw was a respected abbot and leader of the influential Debre Damo monastery, known for his contributions to the preservation of Ethiopian Orthodox traditions and literature.
The name GEBREGZIABHER has also been associated with several notable figures in modern Ethiopian history, such as Gebregziabher Terfe, a 19th-century military leader and governor who played a pivotal role in the unification of the Ethiopian Empire under Emperor Tewodros II.
While the name GEBREGZIABHER has its origins in the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Christian tradition, it continues to be used by families across various regions of Ethiopia, reflecting the country's rich cultural and religious heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gebregziabher
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebregziabher, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gebregziabher 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 Gebregziabher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.9% · 186
- White1.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gebregziabher
Gebregziabher 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
#98,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 196
+75 bearers (+62.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 39,410 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #98,894 | 196 | 0.07 | +75 bearers (+62.0%) | Up 39,410 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 Gebregziabher 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 | #138,304 | #98,894 | 28.5% |
| Count | 121 | 196 | 62.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.07 | 63.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gebregziabher bearers went from 121 to 196 (+62.0% change). The surname moved up 39,410 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #98,894.
FAQ
Gebregziabher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gebregziabher?
Name Census estimates that about 225 living Americans carry the surname Gebregziabher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,523,353 residents.
How common is Gebregziabher?
Gebregziabher ranks #98,894 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 196 people with the surname Gebregziabher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (225), 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 Gebregziabher.
Has Gebregziabher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gebregziabher went from 121 recorded bearers to 196. That is an increase of 75 (+62.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #138,304 to #98,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Gebregziabher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebregziabher, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Gebregziabher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (186 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gebregziabher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.9%), White (1.5%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Gebregziabher (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 Gebregziabher mean?
An Amharic surname meaning "Servant of the Creator" or "Servant of God". 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 Gebregziabher (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 are called Gebregziabher?
Find out how many people are called Gebregziabher on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.