2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gorun
A last name derived from the Turkish word meaning "to see" or "to watch", possibly relating to someone who served as a lookout or guard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Gorun. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gorun 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Gorun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorun, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gorun
The surname Gorun is believed to have originated in Eastern Europe, specifically in Romania and parts of Moldova. Its roots can be traced back to the late 15th century, when it was likely derived from the Romanian word "goru," meaning "hill" or "mountain." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with families who resided in hilly or mountainous regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gorun can be found in a 16th-century document from the town of Suceava, located in present-day Romania. This document mentions a landowner named Ion Gorun, who owned a significant plot of land near the Carpathian Mountains. It is possible that this individual or his ancestors adopted the name based on their geographical location or connection to the local terrain.
In the 17th century, the name Gorun appeared in several historical records from the Principality of Moldavia, which encompassed parts of modern-day Romania and Moldova. These records indicate that the Gorun family held prominent positions within the local nobility and were involved in various political and military affairs of the time.
One notable figure from this period was Vasile Gorun, a military commander who served under the renowned Moldavian ruler, Stefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great), in the late 15th century. Vasile Gorun is believed to have played a pivotal role in several battles against the Ottoman Empire, including the Battle of Vaslui in 1475.
Another influential individual bearing the Gorun surname was Mihai Gorun, a scholar and diplomat from the 18th century. Mihai Gorun was known for his extensive knowledge of multiple languages and served as a translator and interpreter for the Principality of Moldavia, facilitating communication with foreign dignitaries and governments.
In the 19th century, the name Gorun gained prominence in the field of literature. One notable figure was the Romanian poet and writer, Alexandru Gorun (1835-1898), whose works explored themes of love, nature, and patriotism. His poetry collection, "Versuri" (Verses), published in 1865, is considered a significant contribution to Romanian literature of that era.
Throughout the centuries, the Gorun surname has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations within Romania and Moldova. For instance, there is a village called Gorun in the Iași County of Romania, as well as a river called Gorun in the Neamț County. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gorun
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorun, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gorun 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 Gorun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 110
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gorun
Gorun appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+5 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,311 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.6%) | Up 4,311 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 Gorun 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 | #147,221 | 2.8% |
| Count | 108 | 113 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gorun bearers went from 108 to 113 (+4.6% change). The surname moved up 4,311 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #147,221.
FAQ
Gorun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gorun?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Gorun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Gorun?
Gorun ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Gorun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Gorun.
Has Gorun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gorun went from 108 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 5 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Gorun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gorun, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) 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 Gorun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gorun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Black (0.9%), 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 Gorun (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 Gorun mean?
A last name derived from the Turkish word meaning "to see" or "to watch", possibly relating to someone who served as a lookout or guard. 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 Gorun (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 Gorun?
Find out how many people have the last name Gorun on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.