2010
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gaio
A surname derived from a variant spelling of the Italian place name "Gaio".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Gaio. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaio 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Gaio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaio, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaio
The surname "GAIO" is believed to have originated in Italy. It is a locational surname, derived from the name of a town or village where the family's ancestors once lived. The name is thought to be rooted in the Latin word "gaius," which meant "rejoicing" or "joyful."
In the Middle Ages, surnames began to emerge as a way to distinguish between individuals with the same first name. Locational surnames, like Gaio, were often adopted by families who had moved from their ancestral homes to new towns or cities. The name Gaio likely referred to a place where the family's progenitors resided before relocating.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gaio appears in a 12th-century manuscript from the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. The document mentions a landowner named "Giovanni Gaio" who owned vineyards in the village of Asti. This suggests that the Gaio family had established roots in the area by that time.
In the 14th century, a prominent Italian jurist and philosopher named Andrea Gaio (1328-1399) rose to prominence. He served as a legal advisor to the Visconti family, who ruled Milan during the Renaissance period. Andrea Gaio's writings on legal theory and natural law were widely influential in his time and beyond.
Another notable figure with the surname Gaio was Girolamo Gaio (1507-1578), a Venetian painter and architect. He is best known for his frescoes and altarpieces in churches throughout Venice and the surrounding region. Some of Girolamo Gaio's most celebrated works can still be seen in the Basilica di San Marco and the Chiesa di San Zaccaria.
During the 16th century, the Gaio family also produced a renowned military leader named Giulio Gaio (1533-1601). He distinguished himself in the service of the Republic of Venice, leading Venetian forces in various campaigns against the Ottomans and other rivals. Giulio Gaio's military exploits were chronicled in several contemporary accounts.
In the 18th century, a composer and violinist named Giuseppe Gaio (1732-1801) gained recognition for his contributions to the classical music tradition. Born in Turin, he composed several operas and concertos that were performed throughout Italy and beyond. Giuseppe Gaio's works were praised for their melodic richness and technical virtuosity.
The surname Gaio has a long and distinguished history, with roots that can be traced back to medieval Italy. While the precise origins of the name remain somewhat obscure, it is clear that families bearing this surname played significant roles in various spheres of Italian culture, society, and politics over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaio
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaio, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaio 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 Gaio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaio
Gaio 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
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-22 bearers (-17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 19,727 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -22 bearers (-17.5%) | Down 19,727 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 Gaio 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 | #133,863 | #153,590 | -14.7% |
| Count | 126 | 104 | -17.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaio bearers went from 126 to 104 (-17.5% change). The surname moved down 19,727 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #153,590.
FAQ
Gaio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaio?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Gaio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Gaio?
Gaio ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Gaio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Gaio.
Has Gaio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaio went from 126 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 22 (-17.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaio, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Gaio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (4.8%), Black (1.0%). 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 Gaio (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 Gaio mean?
A surname derived from a variant spelling of the Italian place name "Gaio". 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 Gaio (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 many people share the surname Gaio?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.