2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gormus
An archaic surname possibly derived from a Greek placename or occupational reference.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Gormus. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gormus 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Gormus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gormus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gormus
The surname GORMUS is of Turkish origin, derived from the Turkish word "görmüş" which means "one who has seen or experienced." The name first appeared in historical records during the 14th century in the Ottoman Empire, particularly in the Anatolian region of present-day Turkey.
One of the earliest known bearers of the GORMUS surname was Mehmed Gormus, a scholar and poet who lived in the city of Bursa during the late 14th century. His works, which included poetry and literary critiques, were influential in shaping the development of Ottoman literature.
In the 16th century, the name GORMUS appeared in several Ottoman tax records and land registries, indicating that the name was associated with landowners and influential families in various regions of the empire. One notable figure from this period was Hasan Gormus, a military commander who participated in the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus in 1571.
The name GORMUS also has connections to several place names in Turkey, such as the village of Görmeç in the Tokat province, and the town of Görmeç in the Kastamonu province. These place names likely originated from the same root word as the surname, suggesting that the name may have been adopted by families who lived in or were associated with these locations.
In more recent history, the GORMUS surname has been carried by several notable individuals. Ahmet Gormus (1876-1945) was a Turkish politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ottoman Empire during the final years of World War I. Kemal Gormus (1921-2008) was a renowned Turkish writer and poet, best known for his works exploring themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
Another prominent figure was Elif Gormus (1925-2008), a Turkish archaeologist and academic who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Anatolian civilizations. Her excavations and research shed light on the rich cultural heritage of the region.
Throughout its history, the GORMUS surname has been associated with scholars, writers, military leaders, and influential families, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gormus
Among Census respondents with the surname Gormus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gormus 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 Gormus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gormus
Gormus 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,716 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,578 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 13,716 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,578 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 Gormus 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 | #151,532 | #147,954 | 2.4% |
| Count | 108 | 112 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gormus bearers went from 108 to 112 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,578 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #147,954.
FAQ
Gormus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gormus?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Gormus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Gormus?
Gormus ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Gormus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Gormus.
Has Gormus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gormus went from 108 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Gormus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gormus, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Black (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 Gormus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gormus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (3.6%), Black (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 Gormus (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 Gormus mean?
An archaic surname possibly derived from a Greek placename or occupational reference. 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 Gormus (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 Gormus?
See how many Americans have the surname Gormus on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.