2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gorab
A Bengali surname derived from the word "gorop", meaning proud or arrogant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Gorab. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gorab 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Gorab in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorab, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gorab
The surname "GORAB" is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region of modern-day Iran and surrounding areas. It is thought to be derived from an old Persian word meaning "desert" or "arid land," which suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived in or near desert regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "GORAB" can be found in ancient Persian manuscripts dating back to the 7th century AD. These manuscripts mention a prominent figure named Gorab ibn Khosrow, who was a military commander and advisor to the Sassanid rulers of Persia during that time period.
As the centuries passed, the name "GORAB" appears to have spread along trade routes and through migrations, eventually reaching various parts of the Middle East, Central Asia, and even the Indian subcontinent. In the 11th century, a renowned Persian poet and scholar named Gorab al-Din Shirazi was born in the city of Shiraz, which is now located in modern-day Iran.
During the Mongol conquests of the 13th century, a warrior named Gorab Khan is recorded as having fought alongside the armies of Genghis Khan and his successors. Gorab Khan was said to have been a skilled archer and cavalry commander, contributing to several significant victories during the expansion of the Mongol Empire.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Gorab Shukoh was a prominent courtier and advisor to the Mughal Emperor Akbar in India. Gorab Shukoh was known for his expertise in architecture and is credited with contributing to the design of several historical buildings and monuments during the Mughal era.
Another historically significant individual with the surname "GORAB" was Gorab Ali Khan, who lived in the late 18th century and served as the governor of the province of Sindh (now part of modern-day Pakistan) under the Afghan Durrani Empire. He played a pivotal role in the administration and governance of the region during a period of political turmoil and transition.
Throughout its long history, the surname "GORAB" has been associated with various individuals from diverse backgrounds, including military leaders, scholars, poets, and administrators. While the name may have originated in the deserts of ancient Persia, it has since traveled across vast distances and cultures, leaving an indelible mark on the historical tapestry of the regions it has touched.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gorab
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorab, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gorab 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 Gorab surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gorab
Gorab 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+7 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,398 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-6 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,701 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 2,398 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 7,701 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 Gorab 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 | #137,327 | #145,028 | -5.6% |
| Count | 122 | 116 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gorab bearers went from 122 to 116 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 7,701 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #145,028.
FAQ
Gorab surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gorab?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Gorab. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Gorab?
Gorab ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Gorab. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Gorab.
Has Gorab become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gorab went from 122 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Gorab?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorab, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Gorab in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gorab appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Gorab (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 Gorab mean?
A Bengali surname derived from the word "gorop", meaning proud or arrogant. 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 Gorab (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 common is the surname Gorab?
Find out how many people are called Gorab on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.