2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gefen
A Hebrew surname derived from the word "gev" meaning "riverbank" or "vine".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Gefen. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gefen 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Gefen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gefen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gefen
The surname GEFEN is of Hebrew origin, tracing its roots back to the ancient Israelites. It is derived from the Hebrew word "gefen," which translates to "vine" or "vineyard." This connection suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in viticulture or resided in areas known for their vineyards.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GEFEN surname can be found in the Cairo Geniza, a repository of Jewish manuscripts dating back to the 11th century. These documents contain references to individuals bearing the name, indicating its longstanding presence within Jewish communities in the Middle East.
During the Middle Ages, the GEFEN name appeared in various European chronicles and records. In the 13th century, a prominent scholar named Rabbi Yitzchak ben Moshe Gefen was renowned for his expertise in Talmudic studies and Jewish law. His writings and teachings had a significant impact on the intellectual landscape of his time.
As Jewish communities dispersed throughout Europe, the GEFEN name began to surface in different regions. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Shmuel Gefen was a prominent rabbi and leader in the Jewish community of Krakow, Poland. His teachings and leadership left a lasting legacy in the region.
In the 18th century, a family by the name of GEFEN settled in the city of Vilna, now known as Vilnius, Lithuania. This family played a crucial role in the cultural and religious life of the local Jewish community, producing several respected rabbis and scholars over generations.
One of the most renowned individuals bearing the GEFEN surname was Efraim Gefen, a renowned Hebrew poet and writer who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1872 in Odessa, Ukraine, Gefen's works were widely acclaimed for their lyrical beauty and profound insights into the human condition.
Another notable figure was Yitzhak Gefen, a prominent Zionist leader and one of the founders of the modern Israeli wine industry. Born in 1887 in Ukraine, Gefen immigrated to Palestine in the early 20th century and established several successful wineries, contributing significantly to the development of viticulture in the region.
Throughout history, the GEFEN surname has been associated with various place names and regional variations in spelling. In some areas, it was written as "Geffen" or "Geffin," reflecting local linguistic influences and dialects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gefen
Among Census respondents with the surname Gefen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gefen 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 Gefen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.2% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gefen
Gefen 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,150 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+14 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 15,150 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 12,119 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 Gefen 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 | #154,907 | #142,788 | 7.8% |
| Count | 105 | 119 | 13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gefen bearers went from 105 to 119 (+13.3% change). The surname moved up 12,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #142,788.
FAQ
Gefen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gefen?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Gefen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Gefen?
Gefen ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Gefen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gefen.
Has Gefen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gefen went from 105 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 14 (+13.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Gefen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gefen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gefen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gefen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.2%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Gefen (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 Gefen mean?
A Hebrew surname derived from the word "gev" meaning "riverbank" or "vine". 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 Gefen (0.04 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 common is the surname Gefen?
See how many people have the surname Gefen on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.