2000
#111,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gance
A surname derived from a nickname for a stout or portly person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Gance. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gance 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Gance in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gance, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gance
The surname GANCE is of French origin, tracing its roots back to the region of Provence in southern France during the Middle Ages. Its earliest recorded spelling was "Gances," derived from the Old Provençal word "gansa," meaning "wild goose."
One of the earliest documented instances of the GANCE name appears in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Marseille, where a merchant named Guilhem Gances is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the area by that time.
In the 16th century, the GANCE surname is found in records from the nearby town of Aix-en-Provence, possibly indicating a migration from Marseille. During this period, variations like "Gancio" and "Ganceau" were also used.
The name GANCE is believed to have originated as a nickname or occupational designation for someone who bred or hunted wild geese. Such surnames were common in medieval times, often reflecting a person's trade or physical characteristics.
A notable bearer of the GANCE name was Jean-Gabriel Gance, a French film director and actor born in 1889. He is best known for his pioneering work in the early days of cinema, particularly his epic film "Napoléon" from 1927.
Another individual of historical significance was Claude Gance, a 17th-century French painter and engraver active in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV. His works can be found in various museums and collections across Europe.
In the 19th century, the GANCE surname appears in records from the village of Éguilles, near Aix-en-Provence. One prominent figure from this time was Honoré Gance, a poet and writer born in 1829, known for his contributions to the literary circles of Marseille.
Crossing the Atlantic, we find Samuel Gance, a French immigrant who settled in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the early 1800s. He became a successful merchant and landowner, leaving a lasting impact on the city's French Quarter.
Finally, in the 20th century, there was Émile Gance, a French architect born in 1885, renowned for his work on several notable buildings in Paris, including the reconstruction of the Palais de Chaillot after World War II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gance
Among Census respondents with the surname Gance, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gance 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 Gance surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gance
Gance 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
-15 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,928 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-13 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,741 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,119 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 17,928 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 13,741 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 Gance 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 | #129,047 | #142,788 | -10.6% |
| Count | 132 | 119 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gance bearers went from 132 to 119 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 13,741 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #142,788.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gance
FAQ
Gance surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gance?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Gance. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Gance?
Gance ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Gance. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gance.
Has Gance become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gance went from 132 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 13 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Gance?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gance, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%). 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 Gance in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gance appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (8.4%). 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 Gance (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 Gance mean?
A surname derived from a nickname for a stout or portly person. 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 Gance (0.04 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 surname Gance?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.