2010
#54,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 382
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Gitau
A surname originating from a dialect of the Kikuyu language spoken in Kenya.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 830 Americans carry the last name Gitau. That puts it at #33,810 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 412,957 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gitau 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
830
1 in 412,957
Census rank
#33,810
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
724
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 724 bearers of the surname Gitau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33810th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gitau, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and White (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gitau
The surname GITAU has its origins in Kenya, specifically amongst the Kikuyu people, an ethnic group native to the central highlands of the country. The name can be traced back to the 18th century and is derived from the Kikuyu word "gĩtau," which translates to "fireside" or "hearth."
In the traditional Kikuyu culture, the fireside was a central gathering place for families and communities, where elders would impart wisdom and share stories. The name GITAU likely originated as a reference to an individual's connection to this important cultural tradition or as a descriptive name for someone who resided near a prominent fireside or hearth.
Historical records and oral traditions indicate that the name GITAU was particularly prevalent in the Murang'a and Kiambu regions of central Kenya, where the Kikuyu people have had a strong presence for centuries. The earliest documented instances of the name can be found in genealogical records and oral histories passed down through generations within the Kikuyu community.
One notable individual bearing the surname GITAU was Jomo Kenyatta, the first Prime Minister and President of independent Kenya. He was born Kamau wa Ngengi in 1891 but later adopted the name Jomo Kenyatta, which translates to "burning spear" in the Kikuyu language. Kenyatta was a prominent leader in the fight for Kenyan independence and served as the country's first head of state from 1964 until his death in 1978.
Another significant figure with the surname GITAU was Wangari Maathai, a renowned environmental activist and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. Born in 1940 in the Nyeri region of Kenya, Maathai was a staunch advocate for sustainable development and environmental conservation, founding the Green Belt Movement, which has planted millions of trees across Africa.
Other notable individuals bearing the GITAU surname include David Gitau, a Kenyan politician and member of the National Assembly, and Peter Gitau, a renowned Kenyan musician and composer known for his contributions to the popularization of Kikuyu gospel music.
Throughout history, the surname GITAU has been closely associated with the Kikuyu people and their rich cultural heritage, serving as a testament to the enduring traditions and values that have shaped the identity of this vibrant community in Kenya.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gitau
Among Census respondents with the surname Gitau, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and White (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gitau 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 Gitau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.2% · 660
- Two or more races4.0% · 29
- White2.3% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gitau
Gitau 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
#33,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 724
+342 bearers (+89.5%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 20,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #54,055 | 382 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #33,810 | 724 | 0.24 | +342 bearers (+89.5%) | Up 20,245 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 Gitau 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 | #54,055 | #33,810 | 37.5% |
| Count | 382 | 724 | 89.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.24 | 86.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gitau bearers went from 382 to 724 (+89.5% change). The surname moved up 20,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #54,055 to #33,810.
FAQ
Gitau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gitau?
Name Census estimates that about 830 living Americans carry the surname Gitau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 412,957 residents.
How common is Gitau?
Gitau ranks #33,810 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 724 people with the surname Gitau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (830), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Gitau.
Has Gitau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gitau went from 382 recorded bearers to 724. That is an increase of 342 (+89.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #54,055 to #33,810.
What does the Census say about the background of Gitau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gitau, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and White (2.3%). 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 Gitau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (660 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gitau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%), White (2.3%). 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 Gitau (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 Gitau mean?
A surname originating from a dialect of the Kikuyu language spoken in Kenya. 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 Gitau (0.24 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 share the surname Gitau?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.