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

Gaza, 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 Gaza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gaza in America

Gaza is the 43438th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gaza surname appeared 497 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 Gaza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gaza 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 Gaza

The surname "GAZA" is believed to have originated in the ancient region of Gaza, located in modern-day Palestine. This area has a rich history dating back to the 15th century BCE when it was part of the Egyptian empire.

The name "GAZA" is derived from the Arabic word "Ghazzah," which means "the fortified place." This reflects the strategic importance of the city of Gaza, which served as a major fortified stronghold and trading hub throughout its history.

Historical records suggest that the surname "GAZA" first emerged during the medieval period when surnames became more common in the region. It is likely that individuals from the city of Gaza or its surrounding areas adopted this surname to identify their place of origin.

One of the earliest known references to the surname "GAZA" can be found in the writings of the 12th-century Arab geographer and traveler, Al-Idrisi, who mentioned individuals from the city of Gaza in his accounts.

In the 13th century, during the Crusades, the city of Gaza played a significant role as a battleground between Christian and Muslim forces. Records from this period may contain references to individuals bearing the surname "GAZA" who participated in or were affected by these conflicts.

Notable individuals with the surname "GAZA" throughout history include:

1. Mahmoud al-Gaza (1453-1516), a renowned Arab poet and scholar from Gaza.
2. Ibrahim al-Gaza (1615-1677), a prominent Islamic jurist and scholar from the Gaza region.
3. Hasan al-Gaza (1790-1858), a Palestinian scholar and writer known for his works on Arabic grammar and literature.
4. Khalil al-Gaza (1870-1942), a Palestinian educator and author who played a significant role in promoting education in the Gaza region.
5. Fadwa Tuqan (1917-2003), a renowned Palestinian poet and writer born in the city of Nablus, whose family originated from Gaza.

It is worth noting that the surname "GAZA" may have variations in spelling or pronunciation depending on the region and cultural influences, such as "Ghazza," "Ghazzawi," or "Ghazzah."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gaza

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!