2000
#41,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 489
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Rare Last name
Girma
An Ethiopian surname meaning "supreme one" or "high rank."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,534 Americans carry the last name Girma. That puts it at #20,121 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 223,438 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Girma 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
1.5K
1 in 223,438
Census rank
#20,121
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,338 bearers of the surname Girma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20121st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Girma, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and White (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Girma
The surname Girma has its origins in Ethiopia, dating back several centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Amharic word "ger," which means "house" or "home." The name may have initially referred to a person's place of residence or lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Girma can be found in the Kebra Nagast, a 14th-century Ethiopic text that chronicles the Queen of Sheba's journey to meet King Solomon. This ancient text mentions a character named Girma, suggesting the name's long-standing presence in Ethiopian culture.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Girma appeared in various historical documents and records from the Ethiopian Empire. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Girma Wolde-Giorgis, a prominent Ethiopian statesman and diplomat who served as the country's foreign minister in the 1940s.
Another notable figure was Girma Amare, an Ethiopian writer and educator who was born in 1919. His literary works contributed significantly to the development of modern Amharic literature. Girma Amare's works often explored themes of identity, culture, and social commentary.
In the realm of sports, Girma Wolde-Giorgis, born in 1924, was a renowned Ethiopian long-distance runner. He represented his country at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, and won numerous international competitions throughout his career.
The name Girma also has connections to various place names and locales within Ethiopia. For instance, Girma is a village located in the Amhara region, while Girma Woreda is an administrative district in the Oromia region. These place names may have contributed to the surname's evolution and spread across different regions of the country.
Another notable figure was Girma Kebede, an Ethiopian painter and artist who lived from 1925 to 2001. He is renowned for his vibrant and colorful depictions of Ethiopian life, culture, and landscapes. Girma Kebede's works have been exhibited in various galleries and museums around the world, showcasing the rich artistic heritage of Ethiopia.
Throughout its history, the surname Girma has been borne by influential individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including politics, literature, sports, and the arts. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Ethiopian roots, the name continues to hold cultural significance and pride for those who carry it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Girma
Among Census respondents with the surname Girma, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and White (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Girma 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 Girma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.5% · 1,264
- Two or more races2.5% · 34
- White1.6% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Girma
Girma 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
#29,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 794
+305 bearers (+62.4%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 12,198 places
2020
#20,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,338
+544 bearers (+68.5%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Up 9,540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #41,859 | 489 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,661 | 794 | 0.27 | +305 bearers (+62.4%) | Up 12,198 places |
| 2020 | #20,121 | 1,338 | 0.45 | +544 bearers (+68.5%) | Up 9,540 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 Girma 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 | #29,661 | #20,121 | 32.2% |
| Count | 794 | 1,338 | 68.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.45 | 65.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Girma bearers went from 794 to 1,338 (+68.5% change). The surname moved up 9,540 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,661 to #20,121.
FAQ
Girma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Girma?
Name Census estimates that about 1,534 living Americans carry the surname Girma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 223,438 residents.
How common is Girma?
Girma ranks #20,121 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 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 1,338 people with the surname Girma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,534), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 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 Girma.
Has Girma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Girma went from 794 recorded bearers to 1,338. That is an increase of 544 (+68.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,661 to #20,121.
What does the Census say about the background of Girma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Girma, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and White (1.6%). 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 Girma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (1,264 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Girma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%), White (1.6%). 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 Girma (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 Girma mean?
An Ethiopian surname meaning "supreme one" or "high rank." 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 Girma (0.45 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 Girma?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.