2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Girmay
An Amharic surname meaning "can" or "able", originating from Ethiopia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 539 Americans carry the last name Girmay. That puts it at #48,549 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 635,908 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Girmay 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
539
1 in 635,908
Census rank
#48,549
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
470
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 470 bearers of the surname Girmay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48549th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Girmay, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and White (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Girmay
The surname Girmay is believed to have originated in Eritrea, a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is thought to be derived from the Tigrinya language, which is spoken by the Tigrinya people, the largest ethnic group in Eritrea.
The Tigrinya word "girmay" is believed to have meant "one who is generous" or "one who is kind." This suggests that the surname may have been initially given to individuals who were known for their generosity or kindness within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Girmay can be found in the chronicles of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which date back to the 14th century. These chronicles mention several individuals with the surname Girmay who were influential within the church during that time period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Dejazmach Girmay Hailu played a significant role in the resistance against the Ottoman Empire's invasion of Eritrea. Dejazmach Girmay Hailu was a military commander who led Eritrean forces in several battles against the Ottoman invaders.
Another historical figure with the surname Girmay was Ras Girmay Wolde Amlak, who lived in the late 19th century. Ras Girmay was a prominent nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the unification of Ethiopia under Emperor Menelik II.
In more recent times, the Girmay surname has been carried by several notable individuals, including Natnael Girmay, a professional cyclist from Eritrea who won the Olympic silver medal in the men's road race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Other notable individuals with the surname Girmay include Mussie Girmay, an Eritrean-American film director and producer, and Biniam Girmay, a professional cyclist from Eritrea who became the first Black African rider to win a stage at a Grand Tour when he won Stage 10 of the 2022 Giro d'Italia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Girmay
Among Census respondents with the surname Girmay, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and White (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Girmay 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 Girmay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American97.0% · 456
- Two or more races1.3% · 6
- White0.9% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Girmay
Girmay 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
#68,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 286
+153 bearers (+115.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 51,560 places
2020
#48,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 470
+184 bearers (+64.3%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 20,221 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #68,770 | 286 | 0.10 | +153 bearers (+115.0%) | Up 51,560 places |
| 2020 | #48,549 | 470 | 0.16 | +184 bearers (+64.3%) | Up 20,221 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 Girmay 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 | #68,770 | #48,549 | 29.4% |
| Count | 286 | 470 | 64.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.16 | 57.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Girmay bearers went from 286 to 470 (+64.3% change). The surname moved up 20,221 positions in the national ranking, going from #68,770 to #48,549.
FAQ
Girmay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Girmay?
Name Census estimates that about 539 living Americans carry the surname Girmay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 635,908 residents.
How common is Girmay?
Girmay ranks #48,549 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 470 people with the surname Girmay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (539), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Girmay.
Has Girmay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Girmay went from 286 recorded bearers to 470. That is an increase of 184 (+64.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #68,770 to #48,549.
What does the Census say about the background of Girmay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Girmay, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.3%) and White (0.9%). 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 Girmay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (456 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Girmay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (97.0%), Two or More Races (1.3%), White (0.9%). 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 Girmay (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 Girmay mean?
An Amharic surname meaning "can" or "able", originating from Ethiopia. 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 Girmay (0.16 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 common is the surname Girmay?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Girmay at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.