2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tsegai
An Eritrean surname of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from a personal name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 299 Americans carry the last name Tsegai. That puts it at #78,873 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,146,336 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tsegai 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
299
1 in 1,146,336
Census rank
#78,873
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
261
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 261 bearers of the surname Tsegai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 78873rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsegai, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and White (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tsegai
The surname TSEGAI has its origins in the Horn of Africa, specifically in Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is derived from the Tigrinya language, one of the Semitic languages spoken in Eritrea and the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
The name TSEGAI is believed to have evolved from the Tigrinya word "tsega," which means "patience" or "endurance." It was likely adopted as a surname to reflect the virtues of patience and perseverance, traits that were highly valued in the harsh and unforgiving environment of the region.
Historical records suggest that the name TSEGAI can be traced back to the 15th century, during the reign of the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia. It appears in several ancient manuscripts and chronicles from that era, often associated with prominent families and individuals who played significant roles in the political and cultural affairs of the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TSEGAI can be found in the "Kebre Negest," an ancient Ethiopian text that dates back to the 14th century. The manuscript mentions a nobleman named Tsegai, who was a close advisor to the Emperor Zara Yaqob (1434-1468).
Another notable figure who bore the surname TSEGAI was Abuna Tsegai, a respected Ethiopian cleric who lived in the 16th century. He was renowned for his scholarly work and played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the Ge'ez language, which was the literary language of ancient Ethiopia.
In the 19th century, the name TSEGAI gained prominence with the birth of Tsegai Andu Mesfin (1851-1912), a renowned Ethiopian military leader and diplomat. He served as the governor of Shewa province and played a pivotal role in the unification of Ethiopia under Emperor Menelik II.
Another prominent individual with the surname TSEGAI was Azmari Tsegai (1890-1962), a celebrated Ethiopian poet and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest masters of the azmari tradition, a unique form of poetic and musical expression that has been an integral part of Ethiopian culture for centuries.
The name TSEGAI has also been associated with several notable places in Eritrea and Ethiopia. For instance, the town of Tsegai in Eritrea is believed to have derived its name from the surname, reflecting the historical presence of families bearing this name in the region.
Overall, the surname TSEGAI has a rich historical legacy, rooted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of the Horn of Africa. Its enduring presence over centuries reflects the resilience and perseverance of the people who bore this name, embodying the very virtues that gave rise to its adoption as a surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tsegai
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsegai, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and White (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tsegai 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 Tsegai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.5% · 244
- Two or more races3.1% · 8
- White1.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tsegai
Tsegai 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
#106,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
+56 bearers (+50.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 31,720 places
2020
#78,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 261
+93 bearers (+55.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 27,223 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 | #106,096 | 168 | 0.06 | +56 bearers (+50.0%) | Up 31,720 places |
| 2020 | #78,873 | 261 | 0.09 | +93 bearers (+55.4%) | Up 27,223 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 Tsegai 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 | #106,096 | #78,873 | 25.7% |
| Count | 168 | 261 | 55.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.09 | 45.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tsegai bearers went from 168 to 261 (+55.4% change). The surname moved up 27,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #106,096 to #78,873.
FAQ
Tsegai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tsegai?
Name Census estimates that about 299 living Americans carry the surname Tsegai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,146,336 residents.
How common is Tsegai?
Tsegai ranks #78,873 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 261 people with the surname Tsegai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (299), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Tsegai.
Has Tsegai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tsegai went from 168 recorded bearers to 261. That is an increase of 93 (+55.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #106,096 to #78,873.
What does the Census say about the background of Tsegai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsegai, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and White (1.5%). 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 Tsegai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (244 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tsegai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%), White (1.5%). 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 Tsegai (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 Tsegai mean?
An Eritrean surname of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from a personal name. 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 Tsegai (0.09 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 Tsegai?
You can see how many people have the last name Tsegai on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.