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

Gasca, 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 Gasca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gasca in America

Gasca is the 6913th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gasca surname appeared 4,854 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Gasca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gasca 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 Gasca

The surname Gasca has its origins in Spain, tracing back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "gascón," which refers to a person from the historical region of Gascony, located in southwestern France. Alternatively, some sources suggest it may have stemmed from the Latin word "cus," meaning "watchful" or "vigilant."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gasca can be found in the Archivo General de Indias, a Spanish archival institution housing documents related to the Spanish Empire in the Americas. The records mention a certain Pedro de la Gasca, who served as the first Spanish viceroy of Peru from 1546 to 1550.

During the 16th century, another notable figure bearing the surname Gasca was Martín de la Gasca, a Spanish military officer and diplomat who played a crucial role in resolving the civil war in Peru between the Spanish conquistadors and the followers of Gonzalo Pizarro.

In the 17th century, a man named Juan Gasca was a prominent Spanish painter and engraver, known for his religious artworks and portraits. He was active in Madrid during the latter half of the century.

Moving into the 18th century, a certain Pedro Gasca y Figueroa was a Spanish military officer who served as the governor of Havana, Cuba, from 1777 to 1782.

In the 19th century, Pedro Gasca y Espinosa was a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice and Minister of the Interior during the reign of Queen Isabella II.

While the surname Gasca has Spanish roots, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America, where it is particularly prevalent in countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Peru, likely due to the Spanish colonial influence in those regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gasca

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

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

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

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