2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gessesse
A surname of Ethiopian origin meaning "to expand" or "to grow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 287 Americans carry the last name Gessesse. That puts it at #81,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,194,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gessesse 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
287
1 in 1,194,266
Census rank
#81,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
250
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 250 bearers of the surname Gessesse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 81574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gessesse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gessesse
The surname GESSESSE has its origins in the African country of Ethiopia. It is believed to have first emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Amharic language, which is one of the main languages spoken in Ethiopia.
GESSESSE is thought to be a variant spelling of the Amharic word "gesesse," which means "priest" or "clergyman." This suggests that the surname may have initially been used to identify individuals who held religious positions within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which has played a significant role in the country's history and culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GESSESSE surname can be found in a 14th-century manuscript detailing the lives of prominent Ethiopian religious figures. The document mentions a monk named Gebre GESSESSE, who was renowned for his piety and wisdom.
During the 16th century, the name GESSESSE appeared in chronicles documenting the reign of Emperor Gelawdewos (1540-1559). These records mention a trusted advisor to the emperor named Abuna GESSESSE, who played a crucial role in diplomatic negotiations and religious affairs of the time.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Walda GESSESSE (1730-1805) gained prominence as a respected scholar and writer. His works on Ethiopian history, theology, and literature have been widely studied and preserved.
Another individual of historical significance was Ras GESSESSE (1810-1875), a military commander and provincial ruler during the Era of Princes in Ethiopia. He was known for his strategic military victories and his efforts to consolidate power in the region he governed.
The GESSESSE surname has also been associated with several notable religious figures throughout Ethiopian history. One such individual was Abuna Petros GESSESSE (1892-1962), who served as the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church from 1959 until his death in 1962.
While the GESSESSE surname originated in Ethiopia, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural and religious traditions of the Ethiopian people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gessesse
Among Census respondents with the surname Gessesse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gessesse 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 Gessesse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American96.4% · 241
- White1.6% · 4
- Two or more races1.2% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gessesse
Gessesse 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
#111,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
+51 bearers (+48.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 31,859 places
2020
#81,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 250
+93 bearers (+59.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 30,414 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #111,988 | 157 | 0.05 | +51 bearers (+48.1%) | Up 31,859 places |
| 2020 | #81,574 | 250 | 0.08 | +93 bearers (+59.2%) | Up 30,414 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 Gessesse 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 | #111,988 | #81,574 | 27.2% |
| Count | 157 | 250 | 59.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.08 | 67.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gessesse bearers went from 157 to 250 (+59.2% change). The surname moved up 30,414 positions in the national ranking, going from #111,988 to #81,574.
FAQ
Gessesse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gessesse?
Name Census estimates that about 287 living Americans carry the surname Gessesse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,194,266 residents.
How common is Gessesse?
Gessesse ranks #81,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 250 people with the surname Gessesse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (287), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Gessesse.
Has Gessesse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gessesse went from 157 recorded bearers to 250. That is an increase of 93 (+59.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #111,988 to #81,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Gessesse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gessesse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Gessesse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (241 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gessesse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (96.4%), White (1.6%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Gessesse (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 Gessesse mean?
A surname of Ethiopian origin meaning "to expand" or "to grow". 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 Gessesse (0.08 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 share the surname Gessesse?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.