2010
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gebreyes
A surname common among Ethiopians, derived from the Amharic words "gebr" meaning servant and "yes" meaning Jesus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 250 Americans carry the last name Gebreyes. 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 Gebreyes 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 Gebreyes 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 Gebreyes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and White (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gebreyes
The surname "GEBREYES" has its origins in Ethiopia, tracing back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Amharic language, with "Gebre" meaning "servant" and "yes" referring to Jesus, thus translating to "servant of Jesus."
This name was prominent among the Amhara people, who were the dominant ethnic group in the Ethiopian highlands during the medieval period. It is believed to have been initially adopted by followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, as a reflection of their religious devotion.
In the 15th century, the name is mentioned in several chronicles and historical accounts from the Solomonic dynasty, which ruled Ethiopia from the 13th to the 20th century. One notable figure was Gebreyes Habtemariam, a prominent cleric and scholar who lived during the reign of Emperor Zara Yaqob (1434-1468).
During the 16th century, the Gebreyes family held significant influence in the province of Begemder, located in northwestern Ethiopia. Records from this period mention Gebreyes Amde Tsion, a nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the battles against the Ottoman Empire's invasion attempts.
In the 18th century, Gebreyes Haile Selassie, a renowned scholar and theologian, made significant contributions to the preservation of ancient Ethiopian manuscripts and texts. His works are still studied by scholars today.
The 19th century saw the rise of Gebreyes Abba Matewos, a prominent figure in the Ethiopian Unionist movement, which sought to unite the country's various kingdoms and provinces under a strong central authority. His efforts played a crucial role in shaping the modern Ethiopian state.
Another notable individual bearing the surname Gebreyes was Gebreyes Wolde Selassie, a diplomat and statesman who served as the Ethiopian Ambassador to the United States in the early 20th century, during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie I.
Throughout history, the name Gebreyes has been associated with various regions of Ethiopia, including Begemder, Lasta, and Gondar, where it has been particularly prevalent among the Amhara community.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gebreyes
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebreyes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and White (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gebreyes 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 Gebreyes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American97.7% · 213
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 3
- White0.5% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gebreyes
Gebreyes 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
+81 bearers (+59.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 34,434 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #90,848 | 218 | 0.07 | +81 bearers (+59.1%) | Up 34,434 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 Gebreyes 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 | #125,282 | #90,848 | 27.5% |
| Count | 137 | 218 | 59.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 45.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gebreyes bearers went from 137 to 218 (+59.1% change). The surname moved up 34,434 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #90,848.
FAQ
Gebreyes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gebreyes?
Name Census estimates that about 250 living Americans carry the surname Gebreyes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,371,017 residents.
How common is Gebreyes?
Gebreyes 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 Gebreyes. 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 Gebreyes.
Has Gebreyes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gebreyes went from 137 recorded bearers to 218. That is an increase of 81 (+59.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #125,282 to #90,848.
What does the Census say about the background of Gebreyes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gebreyes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and White (0.5%). 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 Gebreyes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.7% (213 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gebreyes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (97.7%), Hispanic (1.4%), White (0.5%). 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 Gebreyes (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 Gebreyes mean?
A surname common among Ethiopians, derived from the Amharic words "gebr" meaning servant and "yes" meaning Jesus. 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 Gebreyes (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 Americans have the surname Gebreyes?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.