2000
#26,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 854
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Very Rare Last name
Gangemi
Of Sicilian origin denoting someone from the town of Gangi.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 951 Americans carry the last name Gangemi. That puts it at #30,224 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 360,415 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gangemi 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
951
1 in 360,415
Census rank
#30,224
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
829
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 829 bearers of the surname Gangemi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30224th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gangemi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gangemi
The surname Gangemi has its origins in Sicily, Italy, and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "gamma," which means a bend or curve, possibly referring to a geographical feature such as a bend in a river or a curved road.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gangemi appears in a historical document from the 12th century, where it is mentioned as a place name in the Sicilian town of Noto. This suggests that the surname may have originally been a toponymic name, derived from a specific location.
During the 13th century, the name Gangemi appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the "Codice Diplomatico della Cattedrale di Messina," which documented legal transactions and property ownership in the city of Messina, Sicily.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Gangemi (born around 1420) was a prominent lawyer and judge in the Sicilian town of Caltagirone. He was renowned for his expertise in legal matters and his dedication to upholding justice.
Another historical figure with the surname Gangemi was Vincenzo Gangemi (1537-1599), a renowned architect and engineer from Noto, Sicily. He designed several notable buildings, including the Church of San Domenico in Noto and the Palazzo Nicolaci in Noto Antica.
In the 17th century, Francesco Gangemi (1608-1685) was a celebrated painter from Messina, Sicily. He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes, many of which adorned churches and monasteries throughout Sicily.
During the 18th century, Giuseppe Gangemi (1742-1819) was a prominent scientist and mathematician from Catania, Sicily. He made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy and physics and served as a professor at the University of Catania.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Gangemi was Maria Gangemi (1856-1932), a Sicilian feminist and activist who fought for women's rights and education. She founded several schools for girls and played a crucial role in promoting gender equality in Sicily.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gangemi
Among Census respondents with the surname Gangemi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gangemi 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 Gangemi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 782
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 30
- Two or more races1.2% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gangemi
Gangemi 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
#26,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 916
+62 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Up 185 places
2020
#30,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 829
-87 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 3,626 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,783 | 854 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,598 | 916 | 0.31 | +62 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 185 places |
| 2020 | #30,224 | 829 | 0.28 | -87 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 3,626 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 Gangemi 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 | #26,598 | #30,224 | -13.6% |
| Count | 916 | 829 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.28 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gangemi bearers went from 916 to 829 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 3,626 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,598 to #30,224.
FAQ
Gangemi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gangemi?
Name Census estimates that about 951 living Americans carry the surname Gangemi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 360,415 residents.
How common is Gangemi?
Gangemi ranks #30,224 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 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 829 people with the surname Gangemi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (951), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 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 Gangemi.
Has Gangemi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gangemi went from 916 recorded bearers to 829. That is a decrease of 87 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #26,598 to #30,224.
What does the Census say about the background of Gangemi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gangemi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Gangemi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (782 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gangemi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Gangemi (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 Gangemi mean?
Of Sicilian origin denoting someone from the town of Gangi. 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 Gangemi (0.28 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 Gangemi?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.