2000
#65,298
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 284
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Rare Last name
Giri
A geographical surname indicating someone who lived on or near a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,292 Americans carry the last name Giri. That puts it at #14,399 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,544 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Giri 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Giri with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,544
Census rank
#14,399
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,999 bearers of the surname Giri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14399th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Giri, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Giri
The surname GIRI has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "giri," which means "mountain" or "hill." This association suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify individuals who lived in or near mountainous regions.
The earliest known references to the name GIRI can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it was often used to describe deities, sages, and other revered figures associated with mountains or hills. One notable example is the famous sage Vasishtha Giri, who is mentioned in the Ramayana epic and is believed to have lived during the latter part of the second millennium BCE.
In medieval India, the name GIRI gained prominence as a suffix used by scholars, poets, and literary figures, often denoting their association with a particular school of thought or philosophical tradition. For instance, the renowned 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankara, who revived the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, was also known as Shankara Giri.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, the GIRI surname appeared in various historical records and inscriptions across the Indian subcontinent. One notable mention is in the Chaulukya dynasty's inscriptions from Gujarat, where individuals with the surname GIRI held important administrative positions.
As the centuries progressed, the name GIRI spread across different regions of India and beyond. One of the earliest documented instances of the name outside the subcontinent can be found in the 16th-century Mughal Empire records, where a courtier named Jafar Giri served under the emperor Akbar.
Some notable individuals who carried the GIRI surname throughout history include:
1. Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), a renowned Hindu monk and philosopher who introduced Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.
2. Shankar Dayal Sharma (1918-1999), the ninth President of India from 1992 to 1997.
3. Govind Ballabh Pant (1887-1961), an Indian freedom fighter and the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
4. Umakant Giri (1932-2011), a celebrated Indian playwright and literary critic known for his works in Odia literature.
5. Jagannath Giri (1610-1680), a renowned Bengali poet and scholar during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
The surname GIRI continues to be prevalent in various parts of India, particularly in regions such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and parts of South India, where it is often associated with communities residing in or near mountainous areas. Its rich historical significance and connections to ancient Sanskrit roots have made it a name deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Giri
Among Census respondents with the surname Giri, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Giri 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 Giri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.5% · 1,869
- White3.3% · 66
- Two or more races2.0% · 39
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 12
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Giri
Giri 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
#29,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 789
+505 bearers (+177.8%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 35,505 places
2020
#14,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,999
+1,210 bearers (+153.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 15,394 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #65,298 | 284 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,793 | 789 | 0.27 | +505 bearers (+177.8%) | Up 35,505 places |
| 2020 | #14,399 | 1,999 | 0.67 | +1,210 bearers (+153.4%) | Up 15,394 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 Giri 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 | #29,793 | #14,399 | 51.7% |
| Count | 789 | 1,999 | 153.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.67 | 147.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Giri bearers went from 789 to 1,999 (+153.4% change). The surname moved up 15,394 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,793 to #14,399.
FAQ
Giri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Giri?
Name Census estimates that about 2,292 living Americans carry the surname Giri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,544 residents.
How common is Giri?
Giri ranks #14,399 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,999 people with the surname Giri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,292), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Giri.
Has Giri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Giri went from 789 recorded bearers to 1,999. That is an increase of 1,210 (+153.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,793 to #14,399.
What does the Census say about the background of Giri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Giri, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Giri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (1,869 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Giri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.5%), White (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Giri (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 Giri mean?
A geographical surname indicating someone who lived on or near a hill. 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 Giri (0.67 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 Giri?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Giri on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.