2000
#8,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,790
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Gagliano
Derived from a place name in Italy, likely referring to someone from the town of Gagliano.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,142 Americans carry the last name Gagliano. That puts it at #8,715 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gagliano 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
4.1K
1 in 82,751
Census rank
#8,715
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,612 bearers of the surname Gagliano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8715th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gagliano, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gagliano
The surname Gagliano originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Sicily. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "gaglio," which means "garlic." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who cultivated or traded in garlic, or perhaps someone who lived in an area known for its abundance of garlic.
The earliest known recorded instances of the surname Gagliano date back to the 12th century in Sicily. Historical records from this period often referred to individuals by their place of origin, occupation, or distinctive physical characteristics. It is possible that the name Gagliano was initially associated with a specific location or village in Sicily, but over time, it became a more widespread surname.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Gagliano can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the Sicilian city of Palermo. This document mentions a certain "Giovanni Gagliano," who was a merchant and landowner. Unfortunately, no specific years of birth or death are provided for this individual.
In the 15th century, a notable figure with the surname Gagliano was Antonio Gagliano (c. 1430-1495), a Sicilian lute maker and musician. He was renowned for his exceptional craftsmanship and is considered one of the earliest and most influential luthiers (stringed instrument makers) in Italy.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Niccolò Gagliano (c. 1540-1615), a violin maker from Naples. He was a member of the renowned Gagliano family of luthiers, which produced some of the finest violins and stringed instruments in Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries.
In the 18th century, Pietro Gagliano (1726-1792) was a highly respected Sicilian painter and sculptor. His works were widely acclaimed and can be found in various churches and museums throughout Sicily.
During the 19th century, Giuseppe Gagliano (1837-1909) was a prominent Italian architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in Sicily, including the Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo.
It is worth noting that the surname Gagliano has also been associated with various place names in Sicily, such as the town of Gagliano Castelferrato and the village of Gagliano Siculo. These place names may have influenced the development and spread of the surname over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gagliano
Among Census respondents with the surname Gagliano, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gagliano 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 Gagliano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 3,241
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 232
- Two or more races2.1% · 77
- Black or African American0.8% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gagliano
Gagliano 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
#7,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,161
+371 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Up 110 places
2020
#8,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,612
-549 bearers (-13.2%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 761 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,064 | 3,790 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,954 | 4,161 | 1.41 | +371 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 110 places |
| 2020 | #8,715 | 3,612 | 1.21 | -549 bearers (-13.2%) | Down 761 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 Gagliano 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 | #7,954 | #8,715 | -9.6% |
| Count | 4,161 | 3,612 | -13.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.21 | -14.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gagliano bearers went from 4,161 to 3,612 (-13.2% change). The surname moved down 761 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,954 to #8,715.
FAQ
Gagliano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gagliano?
Name Census estimates that about 4,142 living Americans carry the surname Gagliano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,751 residents.
How common is Gagliano?
Gagliano ranks #8,715 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,612 people with the surname Gagliano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,142), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gagliano.
Has Gagliano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gagliano went from 4,161 recorded bearers to 3,612. That is a decrease of 549 (-13.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,954 to #8,715.
What does the Census say about the background of Gagliano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gagliano, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gagliano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (3,241 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gagliano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Gagliano (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 Gagliano mean?
Derived from a place name in Italy, likely referring to someone from the town of Gagliano. 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 Gagliano (1.21 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 Americans have the surname Gagliano?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.