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

Gara, 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 Gara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gara in America

Gara is the 36477th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gara surname appeared 613 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gara 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.

The history of the last name Gara

The surname GARA is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Italian word "gara," meaning "competition" or "rivalry." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was known for their competitive nature or who excelled in some form of contest or challenge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GARA can be found in the historical records of the city of Genoa, located in the northwestern region of Italy. In the 13th century, a merchant named Giovanni GARA was documented as having traded goods along the Mediterranean coast.

In the 14th century, a nobleman named Niccolò GARA was mentioned in the chronicles of the city of Florence. He was known for his involvement in the political and social affairs of the city, and his name appears in various legal documents and records from that time.

During the Renaissance period, a notable figure with the surname GARA was the Florentine artist and architect Bartolomeo GARA, who lived from 1470 to 1536. He was known for his contributions to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in and around Florence.

In the 17th century, a member of the GARA family named Pietro GARA gained recognition as a scholar and theologian. He was born in Venice in 1610 and authored several influential works on religious philosophy and theology before his death in 1679.

Another noteworthy individual with the surname GARA was the Italian composer and violinist Giuseppe GARA, who lived from 1705 to 1768. He was renowned for his compositions for the violin and his contributions to the development of the concerto grosso genre.

The GARA surname has also been associated with various place names in Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Liguria. For example, there is a village called Gara near the city of Pisa, and a coastal town called Gara di Riva in the province of Genoa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gara

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

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 Gara was:

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 Gara has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Gara was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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