2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ghebre
A surname derived from the Ge'ez word for "servant" or "bondsman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 165 Americans carry the last name Ghebre. That puts it at #125,089 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,077,299 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ghebre 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
165
1 in 2,077,299
Census rank
#125,089
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
144
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 144 bearers of the surname Ghebre in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 125089th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghebre, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and White (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ghebre
The surname GHEBRE has its origins in the Eritrean region of the Horn of Africa. It is an Ethiopic name derived from the Ge'ez language, which was the liturgical language of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The name GHEBRE is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GHEBRE can be found in a manuscript dating back to the 15th century, which mentions a prominent religious figure named Ghebre Mesqel. This historical record suggests that the name was likely associated with members of the clergy or religious scholars during that time.
The name GHEBRE is thought to have originated from the Ge'ez word "ghebra," which translates to "servant" or "follower." It was a common practice in the region to adopt surnames that reflected one's religious affiliation or devotion to the church.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname GHEBRE in historical records is Ghebre Mikael, a 16th-century Ethiopian monk and scholar who is credited with translating several religious texts from Arabic into Ge'ez. His contributions played a significant role in preserving and disseminating religious knowledge during that era.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Ghebre Krestos emerged as a renowned painter and iconographer in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. His intricate and vibrant religious artworks adorned numerous churches and monasteries throughout the region.
Another notable individual was Ghebre Yohannes, a 19th-century Ethiopian military leader and commander who played a crucial role in the conflicts against the Mahdist Sudanese forces during the late 19th century. His strategic leadership and bravery earned him a place in the annals of Ethiopian history.
The surname GHEBRE has also been associated with various locations and place names within Eritrea and Ethiopia, such as the village of Ghebre Mikhael and the town of Ghebre Ab, suggesting a strong regional connection to the name.
While the surname GHEBRE may have evolved and spread over time, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural and religious heritage of the Horn of Africa, particularly the Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox Christian traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ghebre
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghebre, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and White (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ghebre 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 Ghebre surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.4% · 136
- Two or more races3.5% · 5
- White1.4% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ghebre
Ghebre 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
#125,089
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
+24 bearers (+20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 14,139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #125,089 | 144 | 0.05 | +24 bearers (+20.0%) | Up 14,139 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 Ghebre 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 | #139,228 | #125,089 | 10.2% |
| Count | 120 | 144 | 20.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ghebre bearers went from 120 to 144 (+20.0% change). The surname moved up 14,139 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #125,089.
FAQ
Ghebre surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ghebre?
Name Census estimates that about 165 living Americans carry the surname Ghebre. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,077,299 residents.
How common is Ghebre?
Ghebre ranks #125,089 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 144 people with the surname Ghebre. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (165), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Ghebre.
Has Ghebre become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ghebre went from 120 recorded bearers to 144. That is an increase of 24 (+20.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #139,228 to #125,089.
What does the Census say about the background of Ghebre?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghebre, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and White (1.4%). 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 Ghebre in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ghebre appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.4%), Two or More Races (3.5%), White (1.4%). 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 Ghebre (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 Ghebre mean?
A surname derived from the Ge'ez word for "servant" or "bondsman." 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 Ghebre (0.05 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 Ghebre?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Ghebre on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.