2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gezalyan
A Armenian surname likely derived from a place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Gezalyan. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gezalyan 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Gezalyan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gezalyan, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gezalyan
The surname GEZALYAN has its origins in Armenia, a country located in the Caucasus region of Western Asia. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name GEZALYAN is derived from the Armenian word "gezal," which means "beautiful" or "delightful." It is likely that the name was initially bestowed upon individuals who were considered attractive or had a pleasing demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GEZALYAN can be found in a manuscript from the Vayots Dzor region of Armenia, dated to the late 13th century. This document mentions a certain Hovhannes Gezalyan, who was a prominent landowner and patron of the arts.
In the 14th century, the name GEZALYAN appears in several chronicles and records from the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, located in present-day Turkey. These accounts mention a family of Gezalyans who were influential merchants and trade emissaries.
During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname GEZALYAN was Aghavni Gezalyan (1525-1593), a renowned Armenian poet and writer. Her works were widely celebrated for their lyrical beauty and profound insights into human nature.
Another prominent individual with the surname GEZALYAN was Hakob Gezalyan (1680-1745), a skilled architect and builder who oversaw the construction of several churches and monasteries in the region of Artsakh, now part of the Republic of Artsakh.
In the 19th century, a renowned painter and artist named Vardges Gezalyan (1820-1892) gained recognition for his intricate and vibrant depictions of Armenian landscapes and traditional life.
Throughout history, the surname GEZALYAN has also been associated with various place names and locations within Armenia. For instance, there is a village called Gezalyank, which means "the place of the Gezalyans," located in the Vayots Dzor region.
While the surname GEZALYAN has its roots in Armenia, it has also been adopted by Armenian communities in other parts of the world, including the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, due to migration and diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gezalyan
Among Census respondents with the surname Gezalyan, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gezalyan 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 Gezalyan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gezalyan
Gezalyan 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+18 bearers (+15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,958 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-30 bearers (-22.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 25,445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+15.9%) | Up 6,958 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -30 bearers (-22.9%) | Down 25,445 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 Gezalyan 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 | #129,825 | #155,270 | -19.6% |
| Count | 131 | 101 | -22.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gezalyan bearers went from 131 to 101 (-22.9% change). The surname moved down 25,445 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #155,270.
FAQ
Gezalyan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gezalyan?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Gezalyan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Gezalyan?
Gezalyan ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Gezalyan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Gezalyan.
Has Gezalyan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gezalyan went from 131 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 30 (-22.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Gezalyan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gezalyan, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gezalyan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gezalyan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Gezalyan (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 Gezalyan mean?
A Armenian surname likely derived from a place name or occupation. 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 Gezalyan (0.03 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 are called Gezalyan?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Gezalyan at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.