2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gulash
A surname derived from a Hungarian dish of meat and vegetables stewed together.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Gulash. 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 Gulash 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 Gulash 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 Gulash, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gulash
The surname Gulash has its origins in Hungary, dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Hungarian word "gulyás," which means "herdsman" or "cattle herder." This occupation was prevalent in the rural regions of Hungary during that period, and it is likely that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who worked as cattle herders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gulash can be found in the archives of the town of Eger, Hungary, where a document from 1487 mentions a certain "Gulyas Janos" (John Gulash). This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 15th century and had become established as a family name.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical records across Hungary, often associated with individuals from rural areas or those involved in agricultural activities. For example, a land registry from 1543 in the village of Bükkábrány lists a "Gulyas Istvan" (Stephen Gulash) as a landowner.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Gulash began to spread beyond Hungary, as Hungarian immigrants and settlers moved to other parts of Europe. One notable figure from this period was Gulash János (John Gulash), born in 1687 in the town of Vác, Hungary. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who later became the Bishop of Eger.
In the 19th century, the name Gulash became more widespread, particularly in the United States and Canada, as Hungarian immigrants sought new opportunities in the New World. One prominent individual with this surname was Gulash Mihály (Michael Gulash), born in 1819 in the village of Tiszafüred, Hungary. He emigrated to the United States in 1848 and became a successful farmer and landowner in Ohio.
Another notable figure was Gulash Zoltán (Zoltan Gulash), born in 1875 in the town of Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary. He was a renowned poet and writer who played a significant role in the Hungarian literary renaissance of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
As the 20th century progressed, the Gulash surname continued to be found across various regions, with individuals of this name making contributions in various fields, such as academia, arts, and business.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gulash
Among Census respondents with the surname Gulash, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gulash 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 Gulash surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gulash
Gulash 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,698 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,813 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 13,698 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 3,813 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 Gulash 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 | #144,141 | #147,954 | -2.6% |
| Count | 115 | 112 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gulash bearers went from 115 to 112 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 3,813 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #147,954.
FAQ
Gulash surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gulash?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Gulash. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Gulash?
Gulash 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 Gulash. 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 Gulash.
Has Gulash become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gulash went from 115 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Gulash?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gulash, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) 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 Gulash in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gulash appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (4.5%), 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 Gulash (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 Gulash mean?
A surname derived from a Hungarian dish of meat and vegetables stewed together. 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 Gulash (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 many people share the surname Gulash?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.