2010
#115,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gemechu
An Ethiopian surname likely related to the Amharic root "gem" meaning "root" or "origin."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 359 Americans carry the last name Gemechu. That puts it at #67,846 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 954,747 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gemechu 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
359
1 in 954,747
Census rank
#67,846
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
313
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 313 bearers of the surname Gemechu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 67846th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gemechu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.9%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gemechu
The surname GEMECHU is of Ethiopian origin, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, where it was derived from the Oromo language. The name is thought to have roots in the word "gama," which means "village" or "settlement."
The earliest known record of the GEMECHU surname can be found in the chronicles of the Abyssinian Empire, where it was associated with a prominent family of landowners and local leaders. During this time, the name was often spelled "Gammachu" or "Gammachuu," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and orthography.
In the 16th century, the GEMECHU family played a significant role in the historical events surrounding the reign of Emperor Gelawdewos. One notable figure was Gemechu Gelaye, a respected military commander who led his forces against the invading Ottoman Turks in the Battle of Shimbra Kure in 1529.
Another prominent individual with the GEMECHU surname was Beza Gemechu, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived in the 17th century. His writings and teachings on Ge'ez literature and Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity made him a highly influential figure during that era.
During the 19th century, the GEMECHU name was closely associated with the Oromo resistance against the expanding Ethiopian Empire. Gemechu Abba Bulgu, born in 1820, was a prominent Oromo leader who fought to defend his people's autonomy and way of life.
In more recent times, the GEMECHU surname has continued to be prominent in various fields. Merga Gemechu, born in 1936, was a renowned Ethiopian novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of social justice and cultural identity.
It is worth noting that while the GEMECHU surname has its roots in Ethiopia, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, the majority of individuals bearing this surname can trace their ancestral lineage back to the Oromo people of Ethiopia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gemechu
Among Census respondents with the surname Gemechu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.9%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gemechu 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 Gemechu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American97.4% · 305
- White1.9% · 6
- Two or more races0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gemechu
Gemechu 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
#67,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 313
+161 bearers (+105.9%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 47,188 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #115,034 | 152 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #67,846 | 313 | 0.10 | +161 bearers (+105.9%) | Up 47,188 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 Gemechu 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 | #115,034 | #67,846 | 41.0% |
| Count | 152 | 313 | 105.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.10 | 109.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gemechu bearers went from 152 to 313 (+105.9% change). The surname moved up 47,188 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,034 to #67,846.
FAQ
Gemechu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gemechu?
Name Census estimates that about 359 living Americans carry the surname Gemechu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 954,747 residents.
How common is Gemechu?
Gemechu ranks #67,846 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 313 people with the surname Gemechu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (359), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Gemechu.
Has Gemechu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gemechu went from 152 recorded bearers to 313. That is an increase of 161 (+105.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #115,034 to #67,846.
What does the Census say about the background of Gemechu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gemechu, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.9%) and Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Gemechu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (305 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gemechu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (97.4%), White (1.9%), Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Gemechu (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 Gemechu mean?
An Ethiopian surname likely related to the Amharic root "gem" meaning "root" or "origin." 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 Gemechu (0.10 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 Gemechu?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.