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

Gauna, 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 Gauna surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gauna in America

Gauna is the 10631st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gauna surname appeared 3,012 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gauna.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gauna 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 Gauna

The surname GAUNA originated in the Basque region of Spain and France, which straddles the western Pyrenees mountains. The name likely derives from the Basque word "gauna," meaning "thing" or "object." It may have been a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who had a particular attachment to a specific object or possession.

The earliest recorded instance of the GAUNA surname dates back to the 13th century in the town of Azpeitia, located in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain. In 1297, a document mentions a local landowner named Martin Gauna. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region for some time.

During the Middle Ages, the GAUNA name appeared in various spellings, such as Gauña, Gaunna, and Gaunaa, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. Some of these early spellings may have been influenced by the Basque word "gau," meaning "night," potentially indicating a connection to a person's occupation or activities at night.

One notable figure bearing the GAUNA surname was Juan de Gauna, a 15th-century Basque merchant and explorer. He is believed to have been one of the first Europeans to establish trade relations with the indigenous people of the Caribbean islands after the voyages of Christopher Columbus.

In the 16th century, the GAUNA name spread beyond the Basque region as some families migrated to other parts of Spain and the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One such individual was Pedro de Gauna, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro in the 1530s.

Another significant figure was Miguel de Gauna, a 17th-century Basque architect and sculptor who worked on several notable churches and cathedrals in Spain, including the Cathedral of Burgos and the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla.

The GAUNA surname can also be found in historical records from the Basque region of France, known as the Northern Basque Country. One example is Dominique Gauna, a prominent Basque politician and lawyer who lived in the 18th century and played a role in the French Revolution.

Throughout the centuries, the GAUNA name has been associated with various professions, including merchants, explorers, architects, politicians, and farmers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who carried this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gauna

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

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

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

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