2010
#108,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 163
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Githinji
A surname originating from the Kikuyu people of Kenya, derived from "githiinjĩ" meaning a wealthy person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 339 Americans carry the last name Githinji. That puts it at #71,105 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,011,075 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Githinji 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
339
1 in 1,011,075
Census rank
#71,105
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
296
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 296 bearers of the surname Githinji in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 71105th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Githinji, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Githinji
The surname GITHINJI originated in Kenya and has its roots in the Kikuyu language, spoken by the Kikuyu people. The name is believed to have emerged in the late 18th or early 19th century, as the Kikuyu society became more structured and organized into clans and sub-clans.
GITHINJI is derived from the Kikuyu word "githinja," which means "a place of rest" or "a stopping point." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals or families who settled in a particular area or established a homestead.
Historical records from the British colonial period in Kenya, such as land registers and census data, have preserved some of the earliest documented instances of the GITHINJI surname. One notable mention is found in the 1904 Kikuyu District Book, which lists a village elder named Githinji wa Kihara.
In the early 20th century, as the Kikuyu people became more involved in the political and social movements against colonial rule, the GITHINJI name gained prominence. Jomo Kenyatta, the first Prime Minister and President of independent Kenya, had a close associate and advisor named Gikonyo Githinji, who played a significant role in the Mau Mau uprising.
Another notable figure with the GITHINJI surname was Wangari Maathai, the renowned Kenyan environmental activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1940-2011). Her full name was Wangari Muta Maathai Githinji, and she was a member of the Githinji clan.
In the realm of literature, the Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong'o, whose birth name was James Ngugi Githinji, has made significant contributions to African literature and has been a prominent voice for decolonization and cultural preservation.
Other historical figures with the GITHINJI surname include Joseph Githinji Kamau, a prominent Kenyan politician and member of the Legislative Council in the 1950s, and Loise Githinji, a pioneering Kenyan journalist and women's rights activist in the early 20th century.
While the GITHINJI surname is primarily associated with the Kikuyu people of Kenya, it has also been adopted by individuals from other ethnic groups within the country, reflecting the cultural diversity and interconnectedness of Kenyan society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Githinji
Among Census respondents with the surname Githinji, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Githinji 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 Githinji surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American87.5% · 259
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 16
- Two or more races3.7% · 11
- White2.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Githinji
Githinji 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
#71,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 296
+133 bearers (+81.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 37,629 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #108,734 | 163 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #71,105 | 296 | 0.10 | +133 bearers (+81.6%) | Up 37,629 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 Githinji 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 | #108,734 | #71,105 | 34.6% |
| Count | 163 | 296 | 81.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.10 | 65.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Githinji bearers went from 163 to 296 (+81.6% change). The surname moved up 37,629 positions in the national ranking, going from #108,734 to #71,105.
FAQ
Githinji surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Githinji?
Name Census estimates that about 339 living Americans carry the surname Githinji. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,011,075 residents.
How common is Githinji?
Githinji ranks #71,105 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 296 people with the surname Githinji. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (339), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Githinji.
Has Githinji become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Githinji went from 163 recorded bearers to 296. That is an increase of 133 (+81.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #108,734 to #71,105.
What does the Census say about the background of Githinji?
Among Census respondents with the surname Githinji, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Githinji in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (259 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Githinji appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (87.5%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Githinji (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 Githinji mean?
A surname originating from the Kikuyu people of Kenya, derived from "githiinjĩ" meaning a wealthy person. 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 Githinji (0.10 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 have the surname Githinji?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.