2000
#4,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,677
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.48
Uncommon Last name
Gaona
A Basque habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "at the top" or "above" in Basque.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,088 Americans carry the last name Gaona. That puts it at #3,915 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,976 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gaona 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
10K
1 in 33,976
Census rank
#3,915
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,797 bearers of the surname Gaona in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3915th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gaona
The surname Gaona has its origins in Spain, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old Spanish word "gaon," which translates to "proud" or "arrogant." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a haughty demeanor.
One of the earliest documented references to the Gaona name can be found in the historic records of the Kingdom of Aragon, located in northeastern Spain. In the year 1265, a nobleman named Pedro de Gaona was mentioned in a land grant document, indicating the name's presence in the region during that period.
As the Gaona family grew and spread across Spain, variations in spelling emerged, such as Gaoña and Gauna. Some of these variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.
During the 15th century, the Gaona name gained prominence through the exploits of Juan de Gaona, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. Juan de Gaona, born in 1490 in Seville, Spain, and died in 1556 in Mexico City, played a notable role in the conquest and subsequent colonization of the region.
Another historically significant figure bearing the Gaona surname was Diego de Gaona, a 16th-century Spanish navigator and explorer. Born in Seville in 1520, Diego de Gaona embarked on several expeditions to the Americas, contributing to the exploration and mapping of various territories in the New World.
In the realm of literature, the 17th-century Spanish playwright and poet, Jerónimo de Gaona, achieved recognition for his works. Born in Madrid in 1608 and died in 1678, Jerónimo de Gaona's plays and poetry were widely appreciated during the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
The Gaona name also found its way into the ecclesiastical sphere, with Francisco de Gaona, a prominent Spanish Jesuit priest and theologian. Born in Burgos in 1636 and died in Madrid in 1711, Francisco de Gaona authored several influential theological texts and served as a respected academic at various Jesuit institutions.
In the 18th century, the Gaona name gained further recognition through the achievements of Mariana de Gaona, a Spanish painter and engraver. Born in Valencia in 1718 and died in Madrid in 1782, Mariana de Gaona's works were celebrated for their intricate details and artistic mastery.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who carried the Gaona surname throughout history, showcasing its presence and significance across various fields and regions of Spain and its territories.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gaona
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gaona 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 Gaona surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.8% · 8,164
- White5.8% · 510
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 55
- Two or more races0.3% · 26
- Black or African American0.3% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gaona
Gaona 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
#3,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,299
+2,622 bearers (+39.3%)
Per 100,000 3.15
Rank movement Up 1,012 places
2020
#3,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,797
-502 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 2.94
Rank movement Down 104 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,823 | 6,677 | 2.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,811 | 9,299 | 3.15 | +2,622 bearers (+39.3%) | Up 1,012 places |
| 2020 | #3,915 | 8,797 | 2.94 | -502 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 104 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 Gaona 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 | #3,811 | #3,915 | -2.7% |
| Count | 9,299 | 8,797 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.15 | 2.94 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gaona bearers went from 9,299 to 8,797 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 104 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,811 to #3,915.
FAQ
Gaona surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gaona?
Name Census estimates that about 10,088 living Americans carry the surname Gaona. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,976 residents.
How common is Gaona?
Gaona ranks #3,915 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,797 people with the surname Gaona. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,088), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Gaona.
Has Gaona become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gaona went from 9,299 recorded bearers to 8,797. That is a decrease of 502 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,811 to #3,915.
What does the Census say about the background of Gaona?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gaona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gaona in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (8,164 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gaona appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.8%), White (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). 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 Gaona (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 Gaona mean?
A Basque habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "at the top" or "above" in Basque. 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 Gaona (2.94 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 Gaona?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.