2000
#11,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,482
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Gargano
An Italian toponymic surname referring to someone from the Gargano peninsula in southern Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,804 Americans carry the last name Gargano. That puts it at #12,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,238 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gargano 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
2.8K
1 in 122,238
Census rank
#12,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,445 bearers of the surname Gargano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gargano, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gargano
The surname Gargano originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Puglia, located in the southeastern part of the country. The name is believed to have derived from the Gargano promontory, a coastal area known for its stunning natural beauty and rich history.
The Gargano promontory was home to several ancient settlements, including the town of Monte Sant'Angelo, which dates back to the 6th century AD. It is possible that the surname Gargano emerged from this area during the Middle Ages, when surnames became more widespread among Italian families.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gargano can be found in a document from the 13th century, which mentions a certain Nicola Gargano, a landowner in the town of Vieste, located on the Gargano promontory. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
In the 14th century, another notable figure bearing the surname Gargano was Francesco Gargano (c. 1320-1390), a renowned scholar and philosopher from the city of Bari. His writings on logic and metaphysics were highly influential during the Renaissance period.
During the 16th century, the name Gargano gained further prominence with the birth of Tommaso Gargano (1548-1621), a celebrated painter and architect from the town of Monte Sant'Angelo. His works can still be admired in various churches and palaces throughout southern Italy.
In the 18th century, the Gargano family produced another notable figure, Giuseppe Gargano (1732-1799), a renowned composer and violinist who served as the court musician for the King of Naples. His compositions were widely performed throughout Europe during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual bearing the surname Gargano was Antonio Gargano (1855-1922), a prominent politician and lawyer from the city of Naples. He served as a member of the Italian parliament and was known for his efforts in promoting social reforms and workers' rights.
Throughout history, the name Gargano has been closely associated with the Gargano promontory and the surrounding region of Puglia. While the name has spread to other parts of Italy and beyond, its origins can be traced back to this picturesque coastal area, which has played an essential role in shaping the cultural and historical significance of the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gargano
Among Census respondents with the surname Gargano, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gargano 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 Gargano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,250
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 112
- Two or more races2.1% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gargano
Gargano 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
#11,890
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,633
+151 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 289 places
2020
#12,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,445
-188 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,601 | 2,482 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,890 | 2,633 | 0.89 | +151 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 289 places |
| 2020 | #12,164 | 2,445 | 0.82 | -188 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 274 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 Gargano 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 | #11,890 | #12,164 | -2.3% |
| Count | 2,633 | 2,445 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.82 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gargano bearers went from 2,633 to 2,445 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 274 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,890 to #12,164.
FAQ
Gargano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gargano?
Name Census estimates that about 2,804 living Americans carry the surname Gargano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,238 residents.
How common is Gargano?
Gargano ranks #12,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 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 2,445 people with the surname Gargano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,804), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 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 Gargano.
Has Gargano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gargano went from 2,633 recorded bearers to 2,445. That is a decrease of 188 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,890 to #12,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Gargano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gargano, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Gargano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,250 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gargano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Gargano (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 Gargano mean?
An Italian toponymic surname referring to someone from the Gargano peninsula in southern Italy. 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 Gargano (0.82 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 have the last name Gargano?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Gargano is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.