2000
#88,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Guled
A surname of Somali origin meaning "born in August".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 717 Americans carry the last name Guled. That puts it at #38,180 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 478,040 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Guled 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Guled with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
717
1 in 478,040
Census rank
#38,180
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
625
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 625 bearers of the surname Guled in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38180th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Guled, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Guled
The surname Guled has its origins in Somalia, a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, when many Somali clan names and lineages were established.
Guled is derived from the Somali word "gul," which means "to lead" or "to guide." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who held leadership roles or acted as guides within their communities.
One of the earliest known references to the name Guled can be found in the Somali oral tradition, where it is mentioned in various historical poems and songs that have been passed down through generations. These oral accounts often narrate the exploits of notable figures and their lineages.
In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Guled Abdi Warsame was recorded as a leader of the Somali Abgaal clan. He played a significant role in the clan's migration and settlement in various regions of Somalia during that period.
Another notable bearer of the name was Guled Haji Faarah, a 17th-century Somali poet and scholar who composed numerous works that contributed to the rich literary tradition of the region.
During the 19th century, Guled Ali Matan emerged as a respected leader and diplomat among the Somali people. He was instrumental in fostering relationships and negotiations with various colonial powers present in the region at that time.
In more recent history, Guled Aden Abdi, born in 1937, gained recognition as a prominent Somali politician and diplomat. He served as the Foreign Minister of Somalia in the 1970s and played a crucial role in shaping the country's international relations during that period.
Guled Musse, born in 1955, is another notable figure who made significant contributions to Somali literature and poetry. His works explored themes of national identity, cultural heritage, and the experiences of the Somali diaspora.
While the surname Guled has its roots in Somalia, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diasporic communities. However, its historical significance and connection to Somali culture and leadership remain deeply rooted in its origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Guled
Among Census respondents with the surname Guled, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Guled 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 Guled surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American96.8% · 605
- Two or more races1.8% · 11
- White1.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Guled
Guled 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
#44,957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 477
+283 bearers (+145.9%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 43,868 places
2020
#38,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 625
+148 bearers (+31.0%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 6,777 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #88,825 | 194 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,957 | 477 | 0.16 | +283 bearers (+145.9%) | Up 43,868 places |
| 2020 | #38,180 | 625 | 0.21 | +148 bearers (+31.0%) | Up 6,777 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 Guled 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 | #44,957 | #38,180 | 15.1% |
| Count | 477 | 625 | 31.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.21 | 30.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Guled bearers went from 477 to 625 (+31.0% change). The surname moved up 6,777 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,957 to #38,180.
FAQ
Guled surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Guled?
Name Census estimates that about 717 living Americans carry the surname Guled. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 478,040 residents.
How common is Guled?
Guled ranks #38,180 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 625 people with the surname Guled. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (717), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Guled.
Has Guled become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Guled went from 477 recorded bearers to 625. That is an increase of 148 (+31.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #44,957 to #38,180.
What does the Census say about the background of Guled?
Among Census respondents with the surname Guled, the largest self-reported group is Black at 96.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Guled in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.8% (605 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Guled appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (96.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%), White (1.0%). 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 Guled (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 Guled mean?
A surname of Somali origin meaning "born in August". 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 Guled (0.21 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 last name Guled?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Guled, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.