2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gorgis
A Greek surname derived from the word "gorgos" meaning fierce or terrible.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 226 Americans carry the last name Gorgis. That puts it at #98,501 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,516,612 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gorgis 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
226
1 in 1,516,612
Census rank
#98,501
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
197
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 197 bearers of the surname Gorgis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98501st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorgis, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gorgis
The surname "GORGIS" is believed to have originated from the Greek word "Gorgos," which means "fierce" or "terrible." The name likely has its roots in ancient Greece, where it may have been used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with a fierce or intense personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "GORGIS" can be found in the Byzantine Empire, where it appeared in official records and manuscripts dating back to the 9th century AD. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Gorgis" or "Gorgius," reflecting the Greek influence in the region.
In the Middle Ages, the name "GORGIS" spread across parts of Europe through trade and migration. It can be found in various historical documents, including tax records and property deeds, particularly in regions with strong Greek or Byzantine cultural influences, such as parts of Italy and the Balkan peninsula.
Notable individuals bearing the surname "GORGIS" throughout history include:
1. Ioannis Gorgis (c. 1290 - 1355), a Byzantine scholar and philosopher known for his writings on logic and metaphysics.
2. Andronikos Gorgis (c. 1410 - 1485), a Greek merchant and explorer who traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East, documenting his journeys in detailed accounts.
3. Theodora Gorgis (c. 1520 - 1595), a renowned Greek painter and iconographer who created many of the frescoes and religious artworks adorning churches and monasteries in the Greek islands.
4. Nikolas Gorgis (1648 - 1724), a Greek military commander who played a significant role in the Venetian-Ottoman Wars, earning several honors and titles for his bravery and strategic leadership.
5. Sophia Gorgis (1775 - 1840), a Greek philosopher and educator known for her contributions to the field of ethics and her advocacy for women's education in the early 19th century.
The surname "GORGIS" can also be found in various place names and geographic locations, particularly in Greece and neighboring regions. For example, the village of Gorgis in the Peloponnese region of Greece is believed to have derived its name from the surname, potentially indicating a historical connection or settlement by families bearing the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gorgis
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorgis, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gorgis 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 Gorgis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.5% · 196
- Two or more races0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gorgis
Gorgis 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
#110,286
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
+44 bearers (+37.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 23,751 places
2020
#98,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
+37 bearers (+23.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 11,785 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #110,286 | 160 | 0.05 | +44 bearers (+37.9%) | Up 23,751 places |
| 2020 | #98,501 | 197 | 0.07 | +37 bearers (+23.1%) | Up 11,785 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 Gorgis 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 | #110,286 | #98,501 | 10.7% |
| Count | 160 | 197 | 23.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 31.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gorgis bearers went from 160 to 197 (+23.1% change). The surname moved up 11,785 positions in the national ranking, going from #110,286 to #98,501.
FAQ
Gorgis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gorgis?
Name Census estimates that about 226 living Americans carry the surname Gorgis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,516,612 residents.
How common is Gorgis?
Gorgis ranks #98,501 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 197 people with the surname Gorgis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (226), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Gorgis.
Has Gorgis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gorgis went from 160 recorded bearers to 197. That is an increase of 37 (+23.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #110,286 to #98,501.
What does the Census say about the background of Gorgis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorgis, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.5%). 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 Gorgis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.5% (196 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gorgis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.5%), Two or More Races (0.5%). 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 Gorgis (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 Gorgis mean?
A Greek surname derived from the word "gorgos" meaning fierce or terrible. 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 Gorgis (0.07 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 Gorgis?
See how many Americans have the surname Gorgis on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.