2000
#6,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,944
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.83
Rare Last name
Gambino
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who operated or worked at an inn or tavern.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,473 Americans carry the last name Gambino. That puts it at #6,798 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,626 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gambino 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gambino with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,626
Census rank
#6,798
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,773 bearers of the surname Gambino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6798th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambino, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gambino
The surname Gambino originated in Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "gambino," meaning "gambler" or "one who plays games." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who enjoyed gambling or playing games.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gambino name can be found in the Sicilian town of Palermo, where it was documented in the 14th century. The name was particularly prevalent in Sicily and southern Italy, where it was often associated with various noble families and landowners.
During the Renaissance period, the Gambino family gained prominence in Sicily. Notable individuals from this era include Vincenzo Gambino (1460-1530), a renowned Sicilian painter and architect who contributed to the construction of several churches and palaces in Palermo.
In the 16th century, the Gambino name appeared in several historic records, such as the Libro d'Oro della Nobiltà Siciliana (Book of Gold of Sicilian Nobility), indicating the family's prestigious status in the region.
Over the centuries, the Gambino name has been associated with several influential figures. One such individual was Domenico Gambino (1828-1892), an Italian patriot and revolutionary who fought for the unification of Italy alongside Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Another notable figure was Carlo Gambino (1902-1976), a Sicilian-born American mobster who became the boss of the Gambino crime family, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the United States during the 20th century.
In the realm of literature, Mario Gambino (1926-2012) was an acclaimed Italian writer and translator, known for his contributions to Italian literature and his translations of works by authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Walt Whitman.
The Gambino name has also been associated with several prominent scientists and academics, including Antonio Gambino (1920-2004), an Italian physicist and professor at the University of Palermo, and Francesco Gambino (born 1958), an Italian mathematician and professor at the University of Naples Federico II.
While the Gambino surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread globally, with individuals bearing this name found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and several South American nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gambino
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambino, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gambino 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 Gambino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 4,145
- Hispanic or Latino10.1% · 482
- Two or more races1.8% · 85
- Black or African American0.6% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gambino
Gambino 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
#6,558
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,168
+224 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Down 217 places
2020
#6,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,773
-395 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 240 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,341 | 4,944 | 1.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,558 | 5,168 | 1.75 | +224 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 217 places |
| 2020 | #6,798 | 4,773 | 1.60 | -395 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 240 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 Gambino 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 | #6,558 | #6,798 | -3.7% |
| Count | 5,168 | 4,773 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.75 | 1.60 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gambino bearers went from 5,168 to 4,773 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 240 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,558 to #6,798.
FAQ
Gambino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gambino?
Name Census estimates that about 5,473 living Americans carry the surname Gambino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,626 residents.
How common is Gambino?
Gambino ranks #6,798 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,773 people with the surname Gambino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,473), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gambino.
Has Gambino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gambino went from 5,168 recorded bearers to 4,773. That is a decrease of 395 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,558 to #6,798.
What does the Census say about the background of Gambino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gambino, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gambino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (4,145 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gambino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (10.1%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Gambino (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 Gambino mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who operated or worked at an inn or tavern. 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 Gambino (1.60 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 Gambino?
Want to know how many people are called Gambino? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.