2010
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Getaneh
A surname originating from Ethiopia meaning "he came back".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 289 Americans carry the last name Getaneh. That puts it at #81,047 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,186,001 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Getaneh 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
289
1 in 1,186,001
Census rank
#81,047
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
252
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 252 bearers of the surname Getaneh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 81047th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Getaneh, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Getaneh
The surname GETANEH has its origins in Ethiopia, with roots that can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Amharic word "geta," meaning "paradise" or "garden," and "neh," which is a suffix indicating possession or belonging. Thus, the name GETANEH may have originally referred to someone who lived in or was associated with a paradisiacal or garden-like area.
One of the earliest known references to the GETANEH surname can be found in the Kebre Negast, an important 14th-century literary work that chronicles the purported lineage of the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia. This text mentions a noble family bearing the GETANEH name, suggesting their prominence and influence during that era.
In the 16th century, the GETANEH name appeared in the chronicles of the Portuguese Jesuit missionary Pedro Páez, who spent several years in Ethiopia and documented his observations about the country and its people. Páez's writings provide valuable insights into the social and political landscape of the time, including references to prominent individuals with the GETANEH surname.
During the 17th century, the GETANEH family played a significant role in the court of Emperor Fasilidas, one of the most influential rulers of the Solomonic dynasty. Historical records indicate that a high-ranking official named Getaneh Tewodros served as a trusted advisor to the emperor, demonstrating the family's continued influence and prestige.
One notable figure in Ethiopian history who bore the GETANEH surname was Blattengeta Heruy Wolde Sellassie Getaneh (1878-1938), a prominent nobleman and military leader who served as the Minister of War during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie I. He played a crucial role in modernizing the Ethiopian army and defending the country against the Italian invasion in the 1930s.
Another prominent individual was Getaneh Wolde Semayat (1903-1973), a renowned scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study and preservation of Amharic and other Semitic languages in Ethiopia. He served as the director of the Ethiopian National Library and played a pivotal role in the development of modern literary traditions in the country.
Additionally, Getaneh Engeda (1922-2001), a distinguished diplomat and politician, served as the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia from 1976 to 1977 and played a crucial role in shaping the country's foreign policy during a turbulent period in its history.
The GETANEH surname continues to be widely present in Ethiopia, with many notable individuals bearing this name and contributing to various fields, from academia and politics to the arts and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Getaneh
Among Census respondents with the surname Getaneh, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Getaneh 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 Getaneh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.6% · 241
- White1.6% · 4
- Two or more races1.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Getaneh
Getaneh 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
#81,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 252
+117 bearers (+86.7%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 45,718 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #81,047 | 252 | 0.08 | +117 bearers (+86.7%) | Up 45,718 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 Getaneh 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 | #126,765 | #81,047 | 36.1% |
| Count | 135 | 252 | 86.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.08 | 68.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Getaneh bearers went from 135 to 252 (+86.7% change). The surname moved up 45,718 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #81,047.
FAQ
Getaneh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Getaneh?
Name Census estimates that about 289 living Americans carry the surname Getaneh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,186,001 residents.
How common is Getaneh?
Getaneh ranks #81,047 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 252 people with the surname Getaneh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (289), 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 Getaneh.
Has Getaneh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Getaneh went from 135 recorded bearers to 252. That is an increase of 117 (+86.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #126,765 to #81,047.
What does the Census say about the background of Getaneh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Getaneh, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Getaneh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (241 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Getaneh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (95.6%), White (1.6%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Getaneh (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 Getaneh mean?
A surname originating from Ethiopia meaning "he came back". 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 Getaneh (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 Getaneh?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.