2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gountanis
A surname of Greek origin likely derived from the municipality of Gounari.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Gountanis. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gountanis 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Gountanis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gountanis, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gountanis
The surname GOUNTANIS is believed to have originated from Greece. It is likely derived from the Greek word "gountas," which means "furrier" or someone who works with fur. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade in the fur industry.
The earliest known references to the name GOUNTANIS can be traced back to the 16th century in various regions of Greece, particularly in the Peloponnese peninsula and the Greek islands. Historical records from that time period, such as church registers and tax records, mention individuals bearing this surname.
One notable example is a merchant named Nikolaos GOUNTANIS, who lived in the city of Nafplion in the late 16th century. He was involved in the fur trade and is documented in several commercial contracts from that era.
In the 18th century, the GOUNTANIS surname appeared in the Greek island of Crete, where a family of landowners with this name owned several estates and vineyards. Petros GOUNTANIS (1725-1798) was a prominent member of this family and was known for his philanthropy and support of local schools.
During the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century, a military officer named Ioannis GOUNTANIS (1790-1832) played a significant role in several battles. He was from the town of Kalamata and is remembered as a hero in Greek history.
Another notable figure with the GOUNTANIS surname was Nikolaos GOUNTANIS (1876-1958), a Greek politician and lawyer who served as a member of parliament and was involved in drafting several important laws in the early 20th century.
The name GOUNTANIS can also be found in various spellings and variations, such as GOUNDANIS, GOUNTANAS, or GOUNTAS, due to regional differences and linguistic variations within Greece.
Throughout the centuries, the GOUNTANIS surname has maintained a strong presence in Greece, particularly in areas like the Peloponnese, Crete, and the Greek islands, where it has been associated with various professions, including furriers, merchants, landowners, and public figures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gountanis
Among Census respondents with the surname Gountanis, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gountanis 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 Gountanis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gountanis
Gountanis 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-10 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,616 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,250 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 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 20,616 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 4,250 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 Gountanis 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 | #158,432 | #154,182 | 2.7% |
| Count | 102 | 103 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gountanis bearers went from 102 to 103 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,250 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #154,182.
FAQ
Gountanis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gountanis?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Gountanis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Gountanis?
Gountanis ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Gountanis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Gountanis.
Has Gountanis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gountanis went from 102 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Gountanis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gountanis, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Gountanis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gountanis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Gountanis (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 Gountanis mean?
A surname of Greek origin likely derived from the municipality of Gounari. 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 Gountanis (0.03 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 have the surname Gountanis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.