2000
#57,985
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 328
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Rare Last name
Gyamfi
A royal surname indicating a person of high birth or from a chiefly lineage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,191 Americans carry the last name Gyamfi. That puts it at #24,998 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 287,787 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gyamfi 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 Gyamfi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 287,787
Census rank
#24,998
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,039 bearers of the surname Gyamfi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24998th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gyamfi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gyamfi
The surname "GYAMFI" has its origins in Ghana, West Africa, dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Akan language spoken by the Akan people, who are the largest ethnic group in Ghana. The name is believed to have its roots in the Asante Kingdom, one of the most powerful kingdoms in West Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The word "GYAMFI" is thought to be a combination of two Akan words, "gya" meaning "fire" or "energy," and "fi" meaning "from" or "out of." Thus, the name may have initially referred to someone with a fiery or energetic personality, or someone who was born during a fire or in a fiery situation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "GYAMFI" can be found in the oral traditions and historical accounts of the Asante Kingdom. It is said that a prominent warrior and advisor to the Asantehene (King of Asante) bore this name during the reign of Osei Tutu I, who ruled from 1701 to 1717.
Another notable bearer of the name "GYAMFI" was Kwasi Gyamfi, a renowned Akan philosopher and scholar who lived in the late 18th century. His works on Akan culture and traditions are still studied and revered today.
During the 19th century, the name "GYAMFI" became more widespread as the Asante Kingdom expanded its influence across modern-day Ghana. Some historical records from this period mention individuals with the name "GYAMFI" serving as chiefs, traders, or warriors in various parts of the region.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname "GYAMFI" was Kwame Gyamfi, a prominent Ghanaian politician and activist who played a significant role in the country's independence movement in the mid-20th century. He was born in 1897 and passed away in 1977.
Another notable figure was Ama Gyamfi, a celebrated Ghanaian writer and storyteller who lived from 1920 to 2005. Her works, which often explored Akan folklore and traditions, were widely acclaimed and helped preserve the cultural heritage of her people.
Throughout its history, the surname "GYAMFI" has been associated with strength, energy, and a connection to the rich cultural traditions of the Akan people in Ghana.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gyamfi
Among Census respondents with the surname Gyamfi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gyamfi 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 Gyamfi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.3% · 980
- White2.4% · 25
- Two or more races2.2% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gyamfi
Gyamfi 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
#35,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 641
+313 bearers (+95.4%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 22,838 places
2020
#24,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,039
+398 bearers (+62.1%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Up 10,149 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,985 | 328 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,147 | 641 | 0.22 | +313 bearers (+95.4%) | Up 22,838 places |
| 2020 | #24,998 | 1,039 | 0.35 | +398 bearers (+62.1%) | Up 10,149 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 Gyamfi 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 | #35,147 | #24,998 | 28.9% |
| Count | 641 | 1,039 | 62.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.35 | 58.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gyamfi bearers went from 641 to 1,039 (+62.1% change). The surname moved up 10,149 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,147 to #24,998.
FAQ
Gyamfi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gyamfi?
Name Census estimates that about 1,191 living Americans carry the surname Gyamfi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 287,787 residents.
How common is Gyamfi?
Gyamfi ranks #24,998 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.35 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 1,039 people with the surname Gyamfi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,191), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.35 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 Gyamfi.
Has Gyamfi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gyamfi went from 641 recorded bearers to 1,039. That is an increase of 398 (+62.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #35,147 to #24,998.
What does the Census say about the background of Gyamfi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gyamfi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Gyamfi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (980 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gyamfi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.3%), White (2.4%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Gyamfi (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 Gyamfi mean?
A royal surname indicating a person of high birth or from a chiefly lineage. 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 Gyamfi (0.35 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 Gyamfi?
Find out how common the surname Gyamfi is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.