2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gaetos
A variant spelling of the Italian surname Gaetano, derived from the Latin name Caietanus meaning "from Gaeta".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Gaetos. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaetos 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Gaetos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaetos, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and Hispanic (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaetos
The surname GAETOS has its origins in Spain, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "gaeta," which refers to a small fishing boat commonly used in the Mediterranean region during that time.
Historical documents suggest that the name GAETOS was initially associated with families or individuals involved in the fishing trade, particularly in the coastal regions of Spain. The name's etymology likely stems from the occupation of building or operating these small boats, known as "gaetas."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name GAETOS can be found in a 13th-century manuscript detailing maritime activities in the port city of Valencia. The document lists several individuals with the surname GAETOS, indicating their involvement in the local fishing industry.
Over the centuries, the name GAETOS spread beyond its coastal origins as families migrated to other parts of Spain and even to other countries. Notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. Alejandro GAETOS (1647-1712), a Spanish naval officer who played a significant role in the defense of Cartagena during the War of the Spanish Succession.
2. Isabel GAETOS (1785-1862), a renowned Spanish painter known for her landscapes and portraiture during the Romantic period.
3. Miguel GAETOS (1892-1978), a Spanish-born architect who immigrated to Argentina and contributed to the design of several iconic buildings in Buenos Aires.
4. Luis GAETOS (1905-1991), a Spanish writer and poet whose works explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
5. Margarita GAETOS (1920-2005), a Spanish-American artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her abstract and modernist works, particularly in the United States.
While the name GAETOS has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America and other regions influenced by Spanish culture and migration. The surname's connection to the fishing industry and maritime activities in its early history remains an intriguing aspect of its etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaetos
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaetos, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and Hispanic (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaetos 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 Gaetos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.6% · 82
- Two or more races10.7% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 7
- White2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaetos
Gaetos appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,862 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,862 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 Gaetos 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 | #156,044 | #154,182 | 1.2% |
| Count | 104 | 103 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaetos bearers went from 104 to 103 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,862 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,182.
FAQ
Gaetos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaetos?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Gaetos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Gaetos?
Gaetos ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Gaetos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Gaetos.
Has Gaetos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaetos went from 104 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaetos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaetos, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and Hispanic (6.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gaetos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaetos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.6%), Two or More Races (10.7%), Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Gaetos (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 Gaetos mean?
A variant spelling of the Italian surname Gaetano, derived from the Latin name Caietanus meaning "from Gaeta". 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 Gaetos (0.03 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 common is the surname Gaetos?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Gaetos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.