2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Goitom
A surname of Eritrean origin meaning "the son of a worker or farmer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 397 Americans carry the last name Goitom. That puts it at #62,494 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 863,361 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goitom 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
397
1 in 863,361
Census rank
#62,494
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
346
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 346 bearers of the surname Goitom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 62494th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goitom, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and White (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goitom
The surname "GOITOM" is believed to have originated in the region of Eritrea, a country located in the Horn of Africa. The name can be traced back to the ancient Semitic languages spoken in the region, particularly the Ge'ez language, which was the liturgical language of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
One possible derivation of the name "GOITOM" is from the Ge'ez word "ገዳም" (gedām), which means "monastery" or "hermitage." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify individuals who lived in or were associated with monasteries or religious communities in the region.
In the medieval period, the name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts related to the Eritrean and Ethiopian regions. For instance, some early references to individuals bearing the name "GOITOM" can be found in chronicles and hagiographies of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name "GOITOM" is Abba Goitom, a renowned Eritrean monk and scholar who lived in the 14th century. He was known for his contributions to the translation and preservation of religious texts, as well as his expertise in various fields of knowledge.
Another notable figure with the surname "GOITOM" was Abuna Yaqob Goitom, a prominent Eritrean religious leader who served as the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church in the 19th century (born around 1820, died in 1892). He played a crucial role in the spiritual and cultural life of Eritrea during his tenure.
In the 20th century, Wolde Goitom was a renowned Eritrean artist and educator who made significant contributions to the development of modern art in Eritrea. He was born in 1924 and passed away in 2008.
Semere Goitom, born in 1942, is a prominent Eritrean historian and scholar who has published numerous works on the history, culture, and heritage of Eritrea. His research has shed light on the rich traditions and contributions of the Eritrean people.
Fessehaye Goitom was an Eritrean freedom fighter and military leader who played a pivotal role in the Eritrean struggle for independence from Ethiopia. He was born in 1935 and passed away in 2001, leaving a lasting legacy as a symbol of Eritrean resistance and determination.
While the surname "GOITOM" has its roots in the ancient Ge'ez language and the monastic traditions of Eritrea, it has since become a widely recognized name within the Eritrean diaspora and communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goitom
Among Census respondents with the surname Goitom, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and White (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Goitom 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 Goitom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.5% · 327
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 6
- White1.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 4
- Two or more races1.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goitom
Goitom 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
#86,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 214
+101 bearers (+89.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 49,802 places
2020
#62,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 346
+132 bearers (+61.7%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 24,487 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #86,981 | 214 | 0.07 | +101 bearers (+89.4%) | Up 49,802 places |
| 2020 | #62,494 | 346 | 0.12 | +132 bearers (+61.7%) | Up 24,487 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 Goitom 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 | #86,981 | #62,494 | 28.2% |
| Count | 214 | 346 | 61.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.12 | 65.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goitom bearers went from 214 to 346 (+61.7% change). The surname moved up 24,487 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,981 to #62,494.
FAQ
Goitom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goitom?
Name Census estimates that about 397 living Americans carry the surname Goitom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 863,361 residents.
How common is Goitom?
Goitom ranks #62,494 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 346 people with the surname Goitom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (397), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Goitom.
Has Goitom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goitom went from 214 recorded bearers to 346. That is an increase of 132 (+61.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #86,981 to #62,494.
What does the Census say about the background of Goitom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goitom, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and White (1.4%). 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 Goitom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (327 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goitom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.5%), Hispanic (1.7%), White (1.4%). 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 Goitom (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 Goitom mean?
A surname of Eritrean origin meaning "the son of a worker or farmer." 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 Goitom (0.12 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 Goitom?
Find out how common the surname Goitom is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.