Gano last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Gano is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gano.

Meaning of Gano

Derived from a nickname meaning "raven" in Old English, likely referring to someone with dark hair or complexion.

Gano, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gano surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gano in America

Gano is the 13845th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gano surname appeared 2,183 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gano.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gano to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 13845 13755 0.65%
Count 2,183 2,020 7.76%
Proportion per 100k 0.74 0.75 -1.34%

The history of the last name Gano

The surname Gano has its origins in the Italian language and is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Italian word "gano," which means "joy" or "delight," suggesting that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive name given to someone with a joyful or pleasant demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gano surname can be found in the historical records of the city of Genoa, where a family bearing this name resided in the 13th century. The name is also mentioned in various Italian manuscripts and documents from the 14th and 15th centuries, suggesting its widespread use during that time.

During the Renaissance period, the Gano family gained prominence in the city of Florence, where they were influential merchants and bankers. One notable member of this family was Giovanni Battista Gano (1535-1591), a renowned Florentine painter and architect who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the city.

As the Gano surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Ganeau, Ganno, and Ganeau, reflecting the linguistic differences and influences of different regions. One notable individual with this name was Jean-Baptiste Ganeau (1619-1679), a French architect and engineer who worked on several prominent buildings in Paris, including the Louvre and the Tuileries Palace.

In the 17th century, the Gano surname also found its way to the New World, as Italian immigrants settled in various parts of the Americas. One of the earliest known bearers of this name in the American colonies was John Gano (1727-1804), a Baptist minister and Revolutionary War chaplain who played a significant role in the founding of Brown University.

Another prominent figure with the Gano surname was Richard Montgomery Gano (1786-1858), an American military officer and politician who served as a brigadier general in the War of 1812 and later became a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Throughout history, the Gano surname has been associated with various professions and fields, including the arts, architecture, religion, military, and politics, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name across generations and continents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gano

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gano.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gano was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 74.30% 1,622
Non-Hispanic Black Only 3.39% 74
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 10.26% 224
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.32% 7
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.97% 43
Hispanic Origin 9.76% 213

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gano has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 74.30% 77.08% -3.67%
Black 3.39% 2.48% 31.01%
Asian and Pacific Islander 10.26% 7.77% 27.62%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.32% 0.35% -8.96%
Two or More Races 1.97% 2.28% -14.59%
Hispanic 9.76% 10.05% -2.93%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gano was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gano, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Gano last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/gano-surname-popularity/.

"Gano last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/gano-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Gano last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/gano-surname-popularity/.

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