2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gokhman
A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word for "high man" or "man of status".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Gokhman. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gokhman 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Gokhman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gokhman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gokhman
The surname Gokhman is of Jewish origin, deriving from the Hebrew name Gokh. It is believed to have originated in Eastern Europe, particularly in the areas of modern-day Ukraine, Russia, and Poland.
While the exact origins of the name are uncertain, some sources suggest that it may be related to the Hebrew word "gokh," which means "height" or "stature." It is possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was tall or had a commanding presence.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Gokhman can be traced back to the late 18th century, when Jewish communities in Eastern Europe began keeping more comprehensive records of births, marriages, and deaths. However, it is likely that the name existed earlier, as many Jewish surnames were adopted in the Middle Ages.
One notable bearer of the Gokhman surname was Isaak Gokhman, a Russian-Jewish composer and pianist who lived from 1890 to 1957. He was known for his works that blended classical and Jewish folk music influences.
Another Gokhman of historical significance was Lev Gokhman, a Soviet literary critic and scholar who lived from 1899 to 1971. He wrote extensively on the works of Russian authors, particularly those of the 19th century.
In the early 20th century, a family by the name of Gokhman was prominent in the Ukrainian city of Odessa. The patriarch, Moishe Gokhman, was a successful merchant and philanthropist who supported various Jewish educational and cultural initiatives in the city.
A more recent figure with the Gokhman surname was Aleksandr Gokhman, a Soviet dissident and human rights activist who was born in 1938. He was imprisoned for several years in the 1970s for his involvement in the movement to promote freedom of emigration for Soviet Jews.
Another individual worth mentioning is Yuri Gokhman, a Russian chess grandmaster who was born in 1935. He achieved notable success in international chess tournaments during the 1960s and 1970s.
While the Gokhman surname may not be among the most widespread, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, including music, literature, activism, and chess.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gokhman
Among Census respondents with the surname Gokhman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gokhman 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 Gokhman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gokhman
Gokhman 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-12 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 22,929 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+13 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,217 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 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 22,929 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 13,217 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 Gokhman 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 | #159,712 | #146,495 | 8.3% |
| Count | 101 | 114 | 12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gokhman bearers went from 101 to 114 (+12.9% change). The surname moved up 13,217 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #146,495.
FAQ
Gokhman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gokhman?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Gokhman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Gokhman?
Gokhman ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Gokhman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gokhman.
Has Gokhman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gokhman went from 101 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 13 (+12.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Gokhman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gokhman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gokhman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gokhman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Gokhman (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 Gokhman mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word for "high man" or "man of status". 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 Gokhman (0.04 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 are called Gokhman?
Find out how common the surname Gokhman is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.