2000
#13,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,020
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Gano
Derived from a nickname meaning "raven" in Old English, likely referring to someone with dark hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,141 Americans carry the last name Gano. That puts it at #15,157 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 160,091 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gano 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
2.1K
1 in 160,091
Census rank
#15,157
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,867 bearers of the surname Gano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15157th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gano, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gano
Among Census respondents with the surname Gano, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gano 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 Gano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.7% · 1,414
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.9% · 167
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 126
- Two or more races5.2% · 98
- Black or African American2.9% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gano
Gano 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
#13,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,183
+163 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 90 places
2020
#15,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,867
-316 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 1,312 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,755 | 2,020 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,845 | 2,183 | 0.74 | +163 bearers (+8.1%) | Down 90 places |
| 2020 | #15,157 | 1,867 | 0.62 | -316 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 1,312 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 Gano 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 | #13,845 | #15,157 | -9.5% |
| Count | 2,183 | 1,867 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.62 | -15.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gano bearers went from 2,183 to 1,867 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 1,312 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,845 to #15,157.
FAQ
Gano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gano?
Name Census estimates that about 2,141 living Americans carry the surname Gano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 160,091 residents.
How common is Gano?
Gano ranks #15,157 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,867 people with the surname Gano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,141), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gano.
Has Gano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gano went from 2,183 recorded bearers to 1,867. That is a decrease of 316 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,845 to #15,157.
What does the Census say about the background of Gano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gano, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%) and Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Gano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.7% (1,414 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.9%), Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Gano (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 Gano mean?
Derived from a nickname meaning "raven" in Old English, likely referring to someone with dark hair or complexion. 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 Gano (0.62 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 are called Gano?
Find out how many people have the surname Gano on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.