2000
#44,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 450
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Rare Last name
Getachew
A surname of Amharic origin meaning "my relative".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,546 Americans carry the last name Getachew. That puts it at #19,974 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 221,704 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Getachew 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
1.5K
1 in 221,704
Census rank
#19,974
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,348 bearers of the surname Getachew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19974th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Getachew, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Getachew
The surname Getachew has its origins in Ethiopia, a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is an Amharic name that can be traced back to the 13th century and the Solomonic dynasty that ruled the region.
The name Getachew is derived from the Amharic words "geta" meaning "paradise" and "chew" meaning "to become". Thus, the name Getachew can be translated to mean "one who has become like paradise". This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals who were perceived as virtuous or blessed.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Getachew can be found in the Kebra Nagast, a 14th-century manuscript that chronicles the lineage of the Solomonic dynasty. The text mentions a figure named Getachew, who was believed to be a descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named Getachew Makonnen served as a military commander under the reign of Emperor Lebna Dengel. Makonnen is credited with leading successful campaigns against the Ottoman Empire and defending the Ethiopian territories from foreign invaders.
During the 17th century, a prominent scholar and philosopher named Getachew Desta made significant contributions to the field of Amharic literature and theology. His works, which explored the intersection of religion and philosophy, were widely studied and admired throughout the region.
In the late 19th century, a prominent political figure named Getachew Mersha played a pivotal role in the modernization of Ethiopia. As a close advisor to Emperor Menelik II, Mersha was instrumental in the country's efforts to establish diplomatic relations with various European nations.
Another notable figure with the surname Getachew was Getachew Haile, a renowned Ethiopian writer and poet who lived in the early 20th century. His works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, are widely celebrated and studied in literary circles across Ethiopia and beyond.
While the surname Getachew has its roots in the Amharic language and Ethiopian culture, it has also gained recognition and prominence in various parts of the world due to the diaspora of Ethiopians over the centuries. The name continues to carry a sense of cultural significance and historical legacy for those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Getachew
Among Census respondents with the surname Getachew, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Getachew 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 Getachew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American96.2% · 1,297
- White2.2% · 29
- Two or more races0.7% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Getachew
Getachew 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
#28,065
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 853
+403 bearers (+89.6%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 16,830 places
2020
#19,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,348
+495 bearers (+58.0%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Up 8,091 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,895 | 450 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,065 | 853 | 0.29 | +403 bearers (+89.6%) | Up 16,830 places |
| 2020 | #19,974 | 1,348 | 0.45 | +495 bearers (+58.0%) | Up 8,091 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 Getachew 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 | #28,065 | #19,974 | 28.8% |
| Count | 853 | 1,348 | 58.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.45 | 55.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Getachew bearers went from 853 to 1,348 (+58.0% change). The surname moved up 8,091 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,065 to #19,974.
FAQ
Getachew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Getachew?
Name Census estimates that about 1,546 living Americans carry the surname Getachew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 221,704 residents.
How common is Getachew?
Getachew ranks #19,974 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 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 1,348 people with the surname Getachew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,546), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 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 Getachew.
Has Getachew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Getachew went from 853 recorded bearers to 1,348. That is an increase of 495 (+58.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #28,065 to #19,974.
What does the Census say about the background of Getachew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Getachew, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (0.7%). 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 Getachew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (1,297 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Getachew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (96.2%), White (2.2%), Two or More Races (0.7%). 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 Getachew (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 Getachew mean?
A surname of Amharic origin meaning "my relative". 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 Getachew (0.45 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 Getachew?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.