2010
#116,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gidey
An Ethiopic surname referring to a man who keeps the fast.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 287 Americans carry the last name Gidey. That puts it at #81,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,194,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gidey 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
287
1 in 1,194,266
Census rank
#81,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
250
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 250 bearers of the surname Gidey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 81574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gidey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gidey
The surname GIDEY is believed to have originated in the Horn of Africa region, particularly in Ethiopia and Eritrea. It likely emerged as an ethnic name during the medieval period, derived from the Tigrinya language spoken in parts of these countries.
Historically, the name GIDEY may have its roots in the Semitic term "Gida," meaning "strong" or "powerful." This could suggest that it was initially used as a descriptive name for individuals who displayed strength or courage, possibly warriors or leaders within their communities.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the GIDEY surname can be traced back to ancient manuscripts and chronicles from the region, such as the Kebre Negest (Book of Kings) and the Fetha Negest (Law of Kings), both written in Ge'ez, an ancient Semitic language.
One notable figure bearing the GIDEY surname was Abuna Gidey, a prominent Ethio-Eritrean religious leader who lived in the late 19th century. He played a crucial role in the spiritual and cultural life of the region during that time.
Another historical figure was Gebru Gidey, an Eritrean revolutionary and military commander who fought against the Italian colonial occupation during the 1920s and 1930s. He was a key figure in the Eritrean resistance movement and is celebrated as a national hero.
In the realm of sports, Merhawi Gidey, an Eritrean cyclist born in 1988, has made a name for himself on the international stage. He has represented his country in various cycling competitions, including the Olympic Games and World Championships.
Letesenbet Gidey, an Ethiopian long-distance runner born in 1998, is another notable figure with this surname. She holds several world records in events such as the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters, and has won numerous prestigious competitions, including the World Athletics Championships.
Historically, variations of the GIDEY surname may have existed, influenced by regional dialects or different spellings used in ancient records. For instance, some documents may have recorded it as "Gedi," "Gidi," or "Ghedey," reflecting the phonetic variations present in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gidey
Among Census respondents with the surname Gidey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gidey 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 Gidey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American98.4% · 246
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 3
- Two or more races0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gidey
Gidey 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
#81,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 250
+100 bearers (+66.7%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 34,627 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #116,201 | 150 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #81,574 | 250 | 0.08 | +100 bearers (+66.7%) | Up 34,627 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 Gidey 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 | #116,201 | #81,574 | 29.8% |
| Count | 150 | 250 | 66.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.08 | 67.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gidey bearers went from 150 to 250 (+66.7% change). The surname moved up 34,627 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,201 to #81,574.
FAQ
Gidey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gidey?
Name Census estimates that about 287 living Americans carry the surname Gidey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,194,266 residents.
How common is Gidey?
Gidey ranks #81,574 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 250 people with the surname Gidey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (287), 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 Gidey.
Has Gidey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gidey went from 150 recorded bearers to 250. That is an increase of 100 (+66.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #116,201 to #81,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Gidey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gidey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 98.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.2%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Gidey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.4% (246 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gidey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (98.4%), Hispanic (1.2%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Gidey (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 Gidey mean?
An Ethiopic surname referring to a man who keeps the fast. 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 Gidey (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 Americans have the surname Gidey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.