Ghattas last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Ghattas is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ghattas.

Meaning of Ghattas

A surname potentially derived from an Arabic word meaning "diver" or "pearl diver".

Ghattas, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ghattas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ghattas in America

Ghattas is the 32438th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ghattas surname appeared 709 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ghattas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ghattas to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

20102000Change (%)
Rank3243840139-21.22%
Count70951431.89%
Proportion per 100k0.240.1923.26%

The history of the last name Ghattas

The surname GHATTAS is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the Middle East, particularly Lebanon. It is derived from the Arabic word "ghatta," which means "to cover" or "to shelter." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a covered or sheltered area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GHATTAS can be found in the Ottoman tax records from the 16th century, where it appeared in various villages in the Mount Lebanon region. The name was also mentioned in the historical chronicles of Lebanese historians, such as Mikhail Burayk and Louis Cheikho, who documented the prominent families and their lineages in the region.

In the 18th century, the GHATTAS family gained prominence in the city of Zahle, located in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. Several members of the family were influential in the local politics and trade of the region. One notable figure was Boutros GHATTAS (1735-1810), a prominent merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the economic development of Zahle.

During the 19th century, the GHATTAS family expanded their presence across the Levant region, with members settling in cities like Damascus, Aleppo, and Beirut. Khalil GHATTAS (1819-1892), a notable scholar and writer, was born in Zahle and later became a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of Beirut.

Another prominent individual with the surname GHATTAS was Yusuf GHATTAS (1848-1926), a Lebanese writer and journalist who was instrumental in the establishment of the Arabic press in Egypt. He founded several influential newspapers, including Al-Ahram and Al-Muqattam.

In the 20th century, the GHATTAS family continued to make significant contributions in various fields. Mikhail GHATTAS (1905-1980) was a renowned Lebanese architect who designed several landmark buildings in Beirut, including the Beirut Hippodrome and the Grand Serail.

It is worth noting that the surname GHATTAS may have variations in spelling, such as GHATAS or GHATTAS, due to the transliteration of Arabic names into other languages. Additionally, the name may have been associated with certain place names or locations in Lebanon, such as the village of Ghatta or the region of Wadi GHATTAS.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ghattas

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ghattas.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ghattas was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only90.83%644
Non-Hispanic Black Only1.41%10
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races2.12%15
Hispanic Origin3.81%27

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ghattas has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White90.83%82.10%10.10%
Black1.41%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%1.75%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races2.12%11.87%-139.39%
Hispanic3.81%2.72%33.38%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ghattas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ghattas, please contact us.

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