2000
#82,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 214
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Giwa
Of African origin, this surname could refer to a prominent or wealthy person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 575 Americans carry the last name Giwa. That puts it at #45,922 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 596,095 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Giwa 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 Giwa with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
575
1 in 596,095
Census rank
#45,922
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
501
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 501 bearers of the surname Giwa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45922nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Giwa, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Giwa
The surname GIWA is of Nigerian origin, specifically from the Yoruba ethnic group. It is believed to have originated in the 16th century or earlier, during the height of the Oyo Empire in present-day southwestern Nigeria.
The name GIWA is thought to be derived from the Yoruba word "giwa," which means "elephant tusk." This could suggest that the earliest bearers of this surname were involved in the ivory trade or had some connection to elephants or their tusks.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name GIWA can be found in the oral histories and traditions of the Yoruba people, which were passed down through generations of griots and storytellers. These oral traditions often mentioned individuals with the surname GIWA, indicating that the name was well-established and respected within Yoruba society.
In the 18th century, the name GIWA appeared in written records kept by European traders and explorers who had interactions with the Oyo Empire and other Yoruba kingdoms. These records sometimes included mentions of individuals or families with the surname GIWA, providing valuable historical documentation of the name's existence and use.
Some notable individuals with the surname GIWA throughout history include:
1. Oba Giwa Kokumo (c. 1700 - c. 1770), a powerful ruler of the Oyo Empire who expanded the empire's territory and influence during his reign.
2. Aderemi Giwa (1892 - 1962), a Nigerian politician and traditional ruler who served as the Oni of Ife, a prominent chieftaincy in Yorubaland.
3. Femi Giwa (1944 - 2016), a Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist who fought against military dictatorships and advocated for democracy in Nigeria.
4. Abosede Giwa (born 1976), a Nigerian entrepreneur and businesswoman who founded the successful cosmetics company Giwa Beauty.
5. Gbolahan Giwa (born 1985), a Nigerian-American actor and model, known for his roles in various television shows and films.
While the surname GIWA has its roots in the Yoruba culture of southwestern Nigeria, it has since spread to other parts of the country and even beyond, as Nigerians have migrated and settled in different parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Giwa
Among Census respondents with the surname Giwa, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Giwa 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 Giwa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American90.8% · 455
- White4.0% · 20
- Two or more races3.0% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Giwa
Giwa 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
#63,698
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 313
+99 bearers (+46.3%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 18,321 places
2020
#45,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 501
+188 bearers (+60.1%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 17,776 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #82,019 | 214 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #63,698 | 313 | 0.11 | +99 bearers (+46.3%) | Up 18,321 places |
| 2020 | #45,922 | 501 | 0.17 | +188 bearers (+60.1%) | Up 17,776 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 Giwa 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 | #63,698 | #45,922 | 27.9% |
| Count | 313 | 501 | 60.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.17 | 52.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Giwa bearers went from 313 to 501 (+60.1% change). The surname moved up 17,776 positions in the national ranking, going from #63,698 to #45,922.
FAQ
Giwa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Giwa?
Name Census estimates that about 575 living Americans carry the surname Giwa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 596,095 residents.
How common is Giwa?
Giwa ranks #45,922 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 501 people with the surname Giwa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (575), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Giwa.
Has Giwa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Giwa went from 313 recorded bearers to 501. That is an increase of 188 (+60.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #63,698 to #45,922.
What does the Census say about the background of Giwa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Giwa, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Giwa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (455 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Giwa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (90.8%), White (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Giwa (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 Giwa mean?
Of African origin, this surname could refer to a prominent or 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 Giwa (0.17 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 Giwa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.