2000
#100,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Gaietto
A habitational surname derived from the Italian place name Gaeta.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 197 Americans carry the last name Gaietto. That puts it at #109,465 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,739,870 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaietto 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
197
1 in 1,739,870
Census rank
#109,465
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
172
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 172 bearers of the surname Gaietto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 109465th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaietto, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaietto
The surname Gaietto has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries. It is derived from the Italian word "gaietto," which means "a small jay" or "a little blue bird."
The earliest known record of the name Gaietto dates back to the 13th century, appearing in a document from the city of Genoa in 1273. This document mentions a certain "Giovanni Gaietto," who was a merchant and landowner in the region. Another early reference to the name can be found in a manuscript from the city of Parma, dated 1296, which mentions a "Francesca Gaietto."
Over the centuries, the name Gaietto has undergone various spelling variations, such as Gaietti, Gaietto, and Gayetto. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preference of individual families. Some notable individuals with the surname Gaietto include:
1. Matteo Gaietto (1512-1586), a renowned painter from the city of Vicenza, known for his frescoes and religious artworks.
2. Lucrezia Gaietto (1567-1641), a notable figure in the Italian Renaissance, known for her patronage of the arts and her literary salon in Florence.
3. Girolamo Gaietto (1624-1697), a Baroque architect from Verona, responsible for designing several churches and palaces in the region.
4. Pietro Gaietto (1745-1823), a composer and violinist from Milan, who served as the court musician for the Duke of Parma.
5. Giulia Gaietto (1812-1888), a prominent philanthropist and social reformer from Turin, who established several schools and orphanages for underprivileged children.
While the name Gaietto is not as common as some other Italian surnames, it has persisted over the centuries, and its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in northern Italy. The name's connection to the blue jay bird and its variations across different regions of Italy contribute to its unique historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaietto
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaietto, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaietto 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 Gaietto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.4% · 171
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaietto
Gaietto 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
#107,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 6,471 places
2020
#109,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 172
+6 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 2,331 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #100,663 | 166 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #107,134 | 166 | 0.06 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 6,471 places |
| 2020 | #109,465 | 172 | 0.06 | +6 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 2,331 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 Gaietto 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 | #107,134 | #109,465 | -2.2% |
| Count | 166 | 172 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaietto bearers went from 166 to 172 (+3.6% change). The surname moved down 2,331 positions in the national ranking, going from #107,134 to #109,465.
FAQ
Gaietto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaietto?
Name Census estimates that about 197 living Americans carry the surname Gaietto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,739,870 residents.
How common is Gaietto?
Gaietto ranks #109,465 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 172 people with the surname Gaietto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (197), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Gaietto.
Has Gaietto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaietto went from 166 recorded bearers to 172. That is an increase of 6 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #107,134 to #109,465.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaietto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaietto, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Gaietto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.4% (171 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaietto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.4%), Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Gaietto (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 Gaietto mean?
A habitational surname derived from the Italian place name 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 Gaietto (0.06 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 Gaietto?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Gaietto? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.