2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gresik
A surname originating from a city in East Java, Indonesia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Gresik. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gresik 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Gresik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gresik, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gresik
The surname GRESIK is believed to have originated in Indonesia, specifically in the city of Gresik, located in the East Java province. The name is derived from the name of this ancient city, which dates back to the 11th century and was once an important trading hub in the region.
The city of Gresik itself is believed to have been named after the Javanese word "gresik," which means "scorching hot" or "burning," likely referring to the city's hot and dry climate. The name may also have been derived from the Sanskrit word "giri-sik," which means "mountain peak."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name GRESIK can be found in the Nagarakretagama, a 14th-century Old Javanese prose work written during the Majapahit Empire. This text describes Gresik as a thriving port city and a center of Islamic learning.
In the 16th century, the city of Gresik became an important center of Islamic education and culture, attracting scholars and students from across the region. It is during this period that the surname GRESIK likely became more widespread, as families and individuals from the city spread across the Indonesian archipelago.
One notable person with the surname GRESIK was Sunan Giri (also known as Raden Paku or Jaka Somantri), who lived in the 15th century and was one of the nine Islamic saints (Wali Songo) responsible for the spread of Islam in Java. He established a religious school in Gresik, which became an important center of Islamic learning.
Another notable figure was Kyai Haji Moch. Iljas Gresik (1895-1973), a prominent Islamic scholar and leader from Gresik who played a significant role in the Indonesian independence movement and the development of Islamic education in the country.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) established a trading post in Gresik, and the city became an important center of trade and commerce. During this period, the surname GRESIK may have spread further as merchants and traders from the city traveled and settled in other parts of the region.
The name GRESIK can also be found in various place names across Indonesia, such as Gresik Regency, Gresik City, and Gresik District, further solidifying the connection between the surname and the city of origin.
Throughout history, the surname GRESIK has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including religious scholars, traders, and merchants, reflecting the city's rich cultural and economic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gresik
Among Census respondents with the surname Gresik, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gresik 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 Gresik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gresik
Gresik 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
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,188 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-2 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,750 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,188 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 2,750 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 Gresik 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 | #155,682 | 1.7% |
| Count | 102 | 100 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gresik bearers went from 102 to 100 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 2,750 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #155,682.
FAQ
Gresik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gresik?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Gresik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Gresik?
Gresik ranks #155,682 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 100 people with the surname Gresik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), 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 Gresik.
Has Gresik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gresik went from 102 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 2 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Gresik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gresik, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Gresik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gresik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Gresik (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 Gresik mean?
A surname originating from a city in East Java, Indonesia. 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 Gresik (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 are called Gresik?
You can see how many people have the last name Gresik on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.