2000
#44,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 454
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Rare Last name
Geffrard
A French surname derived from the Germanic name Geoffrey, meaning "traveler" or "wayfarer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,154 Americans carry the last name Geffrard. That puts it at #25,680 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 297,014 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Geffrard 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
1.2K
1 in 297,014
Census rank
#25,680
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,006 bearers of the surname Geffrard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25680th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Geffrard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Geffrard
The surname GEFFRARD is of French origin, emerging in the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French personal name Geoffrey, itself a variant of the Germanic Gaufrid or Godefroid, which means "peace" and "protection." The name was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, such as Normandy and Picardy.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname GEFFRARD can be traced back to the 13th century in various municipal and ecclesiastical records from northern France. It is believed that the name was initially adopted as a patronymic, indicating descent from an individual named Geoffrey or a variation thereof.
In the 14th century, the surname GEFFRARD appeared in the famous Froissart Chronicles, written by the renowned medieval historian Jean Froissart. These chronicles provide a valuable historical account of the Hundred Years' War between England and France, mentioning several individuals bearing the GEFFRARD name who were involved in military campaigns and diplomatic efforts during this turbulent period.
One notable figure with the surname GEFFRARD was Jean-Jacques Geffrard (1804-1884), a Haitian military leader and politician who served as President of Haiti from 1859 to 1867. He played a crucial role in the country's struggle for independence and the establishment of a stable government.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Louis Geffrard (1866-1935), a French painter and illustrator known for his works depicting scenes from Parisian life. His vibrant and atmospheric paintings captured the essence of the Belle Époque era in France.
In the realm of literature, the surname GEFFRARD is associated with the French author and poet Gustave Geffrard (1870-1926), whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition. His poetry collections, such as "Vers la Lumière" (Towards the Light), were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
The GEFFRARD surname can also be found in historical records from the British Isles, likely due to the migration of French Huguenots seeking religious freedom in the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable example is John Geffrard (1593-1664), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield during the tumultuous years of the English Civil War.
Variations of the surname GEFFRARD include Geffroy, Geffrois, and Geoffroi, reflecting the linguistic and regional diversity within France. These variants often share a common ancestry and can be traced back to the original Old French personal name Geoffrey.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Geffrard
Among Census respondents with the surname Geffrard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Geffrard 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 Geffrard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.9% · 945
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 26
- Two or more races2.3% · 23
- White1.0% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Geffrard
Geffrard 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
#27,869
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 861
+407 bearers (+89.6%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 16,705 places
2020
#25,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,006
+145 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 2,189 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,574 | 454 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,869 | 861 | 0.29 | +407 bearers (+89.6%) | Up 16,705 places |
| 2020 | #25,680 | 1,006 | 0.34 | +145 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 2,189 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 Geffrard 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 | #27,869 | #25,680 | 7.9% |
| Count | 861 | 1,006 | 16.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.34 | 16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Geffrard bearers went from 861 to 1,006 (+16.8% change). The surname moved up 2,189 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,869 to #25,680.
FAQ
Geffrard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Geffrard?
Name Census estimates that about 1,154 living Americans carry the surname Geffrard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 297,014 residents.
How common is Geffrard?
Geffrard ranks #25,680 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 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 1,006 people with the surname Geffrard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,154), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 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 Geffrard.
Has Geffrard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Geffrard went from 861 recorded bearers to 1,006. That is an increase of 145 (+16.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,869 to #25,680.
What does the Census say about the background of Geffrard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Geffrard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Geffrard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (945 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Geffrard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.9%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Geffrard (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 Geffrard mean?
A French surname derived from the Germanic name Geoffrey, meaning "traveler" or "wayfarer". 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 Geffrard (0.34 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 have the last name Geffrard?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Geffrard at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.