2010
#88,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 211
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Gedi
A surname originating from Ethiopia referring to a village or place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 375 Americans carry the last name Gedi. That puts it at #65,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 914,012 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gedi 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
375
1 in 914,012
Census rank
#65,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
327
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 327 bearers of the surname Gedi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 65511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gedi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gedi
The surname GEDI is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas surrounding the city of Genoa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GEDI name can be found in the 13th-century Genoese annals, where it appears as "Gedi," referring to a prominent merchant family from the city. This spelling variation suggests a possible derivation from the Italian word "gedia," which means "stool" or "chair," potentially indicating an occupation or trade association.
During the Renaissance era, the GEDI name gained further prominence in Genoa, with several notable figures emerging from this lineage. One such figure was Giacomo GEDI (1450-1522), a renowned navigator and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493.
In the 16th century, the GEDI family expanded their influence beyond Genoa, establishing branches in other Italian cities like Florence and Venice. Lorenzo GEDI (1512-1587), a Florentine banker and patron of the arts, was a prominent member of the family during this period, known for his support of Renaissance artists and intellectuals.
Another notable figure bearing the GEDI surname was Girolamo GEDI (1575-1648), a Venetian scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on religious philosophy and ethics. His writings were widely circulated throughout Europe during the Counter-Reformation era.
As the GEDI family prospered and spread across Italy, the name also found its way into historical records beyond the Italian peninsula. In the 17th century, there are mentions of GEDI merchants and traders operating in the Mediterranean region, with some family members settling in areas like Marseille, France, and Barcelona, Spain.
One such individual was Giovanni GEDI (1620-1692), a Italian-born merchant who established a successful trading company in Marseille, dealing in textiles and spices from the Levant. His legacy in the city is commemorated by the Place GEDI, a public square named after him.
Throughout the centuries, the GEDI surname has been associated with various professions and disciplines, from merchants and bankers to scholars and navigators. While the name's origins may be rooted in a humble trade, it has evolved to encompass a rich tapestry of historical figures and their contributions to Italian and European culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gedi
Among Census respondents with the surname Gedi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gedi 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 Gedi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.9% · 307
- White3.7% · 12
- Two or more races2.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gedi
Gedi 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
#65,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 327
+116 bearers (+55.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 22,509 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #88,020 | 211 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #65,511 | 327 | 0.11 | +116 bearers (+55.0%) | Up 22,509 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 Gedi 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 | #88,020 | #65,511 | 25.6% |
| Count | 211 | 327 | 55.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.11 | 56.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gedi bearers went from 211 to 327 (+55.0% change). The surname moved up 22,509 positions in the national ranking, going from #88,020 to #65,511.
FAQ
Gedi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gedi?
Name Census estimates that about 375 living Americans carry the surname Gedi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 914,012 residents.
How common is Gedi?
Gedi ranks #65,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 327 people with the surname Gedi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (375), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Gedi.
Has Gedi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gedi went from 211 recorded bearers to 327. That is an increase of 116 (+55.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #88,020 to #65,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Gedi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gedi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Gedi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (307 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gedi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.9%), White (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Gedi (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 Gedi mean?
A surname originating from Ethiopia referring to a village or place. 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 Gedi (0.11 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 Gedi?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Gedi at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.