2000
#109,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Gebrehiwot
An Ethiopian surname meaning "servant of life" or "servant of light".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 811 Americans carry the last name Gebrehiwot. That puts it at #34,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 422,632 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gebrehiwot 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
811
1 in 422,632
Census rank
#34,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
707
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 707 bearers of the surname Gebrehiwot in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebrehiwot, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gebrehiwot
The surname GEBREHIWOT originated in Ethiopia. It is derived from the Ge'ez language, which is a ancient Semitic language that was once spoken in parts of Eritrea and Ethiopia. The name GEBREHIWOT is a combination of two Ge'ez words, "gebra" meaning "servant" and "hiwot" meaning "life."
GEBREHIWOT is believed to have been a prevalent surname in the northern regions of Ethiopia, particularly in the provinces of Tigray and Amhara, where the Ge'ez language has its roots. The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 15th century, during the reign of the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia.
In historical records, GEBREHIWOT is mentioned in several ancient manuscripts and chronicles from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. One notable reference is found in the "Ge'ez Hagiographies," which are collections of biographies of saints and religious figures, where a monk named Gebrehiwot is mentioned as a revered scholar and scribe.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname GEBREHIWOT was Abba Gebrehiwot, a renowned Ethiopian scholar and theologian who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his contributions to the translation and interpretation of religious texts from Ge'ez to Amharic.
Another notable figure with the surname GEBREHIWOT was Gebrehiwot Baykedagn, a prominent military leader and governor who served under Emperor Fasilides in the 17th century. He played a crucial role in defending the Ethiopian Empire against external threats and internal conflicts.
In the 19th century, a renowned Ethiopian poet and philosopher named Gebrehiwot Desta gained recognition for his literary works and his advocacy for social and political reforms in Ethiopia. His poems and writings were instrumental in shaping the intellectual discourse of the time.
During the 20th century, Gebrehiwot Beyene was a prominent Ethiopian diplomat and politician. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Ethiopia in the 1960s and played a significant role in promoting Ethiopia's interests on the international stage.
Throughout history, the surname GEBREHIWOT has been closely associated with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as well as with the intellectual and cultural heritage of Ethiopia. While the name has its roots in the ancient Ge'ez language, it continues to be a prominent surname in modern-day Ethiopia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gebrehiwot
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebrehiwot, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gebrehiwot 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 Gebrehiwot surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American97.2% · 687
- White1.3% · 9
- Two or more races1.3% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gebrehiwot
Gebrehiwot 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
#59,017
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 343
+193 bearers (+128.7%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 50,311 places
2020
#34,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 707
+364 bearers (+106.1%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 24,492 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,328 | 150 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #59,017 | 343 | 0.12 | +193 bearers (+128.7%) | Up 50,311 places |
| 2020 | #34,525 | 707 | 0.24 | +364 bearers (+106.1%) | Up 24,492 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 Gebrehiwot 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 | #59,017 | #34,525 | 41.5% |
| Count | 343 | 707 | 106.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.24 | 97.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gebrehiwot bearers went from 343 to 707 (+106.1% change). The surname moved up 24,492 positions in the national ranking, going from #59,017 to #34,525.
FAQ
Gebrehiwot surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gebrehiwot?
Name Census estimates that about 811 living Americans carry the surname Gebrehiwot. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 422,632 residents.
How common is Gebrehiwot?
Gebrehiwot ranks #34,525 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 707 people with the surname Gebrehiwot. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (811), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Gebrehiwot.
Has Gebrehiwot become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gebrehiwot went from 343 recorded bearers to 707. That is an increase of 364 (+106.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #59,017 to #34,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Gebrehiwot?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebrehiwot, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gebrehiwot in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (687 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gebrehiwot appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (97.2%), White (1.3%), Two or More Races (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 Gebrehiwot (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 Gebrehiwot mean?
An Ethiopian surname meaning "servant of life" or "servant of light". 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 Gebrehiwot (0.24 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 Americans have the surname Gebrehiwot?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.