DeGennaro last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name DeGennaro is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named DeGennaro.

Meaning of DeGennaro

An Italian occupational surname referring to a baker or bread maker, derived from the Latin word "januarius."

DeGennaro, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the DeGennaro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeGennaro in America

DeGennaro is the 13360th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeGennaro surname appeared 2,281 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname DeGennaro.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeGennaro to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 13360 12953 3.09%
Count 2,281 2,172 4.90%
Proportion per 100k 0.77 0.81 -5.06%

The history of the last name DeGennaro

The surname DEGENNARO originates from Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the town of Gennaro, located in the southern region of Campania. The prefix "de" suggests that the original bearers of the name were from this specific location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Campania region. In the year 1214, a certain "Petrus de Gennaro" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.

The name DEGENNARO is believed to have originated from the Latin word "Januarius," which is related to the Roman god Janus, who was depicted with two faces – one looking towards the past and the other towards the future. This connection suggests that the name may have been associated with the month of January or with the concept of new beginnings.

During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the surname DEGENNARO was Marco de Gennaro, a renowned artist from Naples who lived between 1490 and 1565. His works, including frescoes and altarpieces, can still be found in various churches throughout the region.

In the 17th century, the name DEGENNARO appeared in the records of the Kingdom of Naples, with mentions of several members of the nobility. One such individual was Girolamo de Gennaro, a baron who played a role in the revolt against Spanish rule in Naples in the 1640s.

Another prominent figure with the surname DEGENNARO was Tommaso de Gennaro, a composer and organist who lived from 1645 to 1714. He was highly regarded for his sacred music compositions and served as the organist at the Basilica of San Pietro ad Aram in Naples.

In the 19th century, Giuseppe de Gennaro, born in 1828, was a renowned lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament. He was also involved in the Italian unification movement and advocated for the rights of the people of Naples.

Overall, the surname DEGENNARO has a rich history rooted in the regions of southern Italy, particularly Campania and Naples. Its origins can be traced back to medieval times, and it has been associated with various notable figures throughout the centuries, from artists and composers to nobles and politicians.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeGennaro

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname DeGennaro.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for DeGennaro was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.34% 2,129
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.31% 7
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.75% 17
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.44% 10
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.05% 24
Hispanic Origin 4.12% 94

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of DeGennaro has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.34% 96.22% -3.04%
Black 0.31% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.75% 0.55% 30.77%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.44% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.05% 0.78% 29.51%
Hispanic 4.12% 2.12% 64.10%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name DeGennaro was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of DeGennaro, please contact us.

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"DeGennaro last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/degennaro-surname-popularity/.

"DeGennaro last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/degennaro-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

DeGennaro last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/degennaro-surname-popularity/.

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