2000
#57,406
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 332
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Gazzara
Of Italian origin, meaning someone from the town of Gazzara.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 330 Americans carry the last name Gazzara. That puts it at #72,692 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,038,650 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gazzara 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
330
1 in 1,038,650
Census rank
#72,692
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
288
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 288 bearers of the surname Gazzara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 72692nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gazzara, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gazzara
The surname Gazzara is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the region of Calabria in southern Italy. It likely emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 11th or 12th century.
One potential origin of the name Gazzara is from the Italian word "gazza," which means "magpie" or "jay." This could suggest that the name was initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who had a resemblance to these birds or perhaps worked with them in some capacity.
Another theory is that the name derives from the Calabrian town of Gazzarra or a similar place name. In this case, the surname would have been adopted by individuals who originated from or had a connection to that particular location.
While there are no definitive historical records documenting the earliest known use of the surname Gazzara, it is possible that it appeared in various medieval manuscripts, tax rolls, or other documents from the Calabrian region during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was Giovanni Gazzara, a 15th-century Italian scholar and philosopher from Calabria. He made significant contributions to the study of ethics and moral philosophy during the Renaissance era.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Antonio Gazzara gained recognition as a skilled architect and engineer. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and fortifications in Naples and other parts of southern Italy.
During the 18th century, Giuseppe Gazzara, a Calabrian artist and painter, became renowned for his religious artwork and frescoes adorning numerous churches throughout the region.
In the 19th century, Vincenzo Gazzara, a lawyer and politician from Calabria, played a prominent role in the Italian unification movement, advocating for the consolidation of various Italian states into a unified nation.
Another notable individual with this surname was Maria Gazzara, a 20th-century Italian writer and journalist from Calabria. She was recognized for her insightful literary works and contributions to various publications, shedding light on the cultural heritage and traditions of her region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gazzara
Among Census respondents with the surname Gazzara, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gazzara 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 Gazzara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 263
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gazzara
Gazzara 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
#64,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 309
-23 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 6,982 places
2020
#72,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 288
-21 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 8,304 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,406 | 332 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #64,388 | 309 | 0.10 | -23 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 6,982 places |
| 2020 | #72,692 | 288 | 0.10 | -21 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 8,304 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 Gazzara 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 | #64,388 | #72,692 | -12.9% |
| Count | 309 | 288 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gazzara bearers went from 309 to 288 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 8,304 positions in the national ranking, going from #64,388 to #72,692.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gazzara
FAQ
Gazzara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gazzara?
Name Census estimates that about 330 living Americans carry the surname Gazzara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,038,650 residents.
How common is Gazzara?
Gazzara ranks #72,692 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 288 people with the surname Gazzara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (330), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gazzara.
Has Gazzara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gazzara went from 309 recorded bearers to 288. That is a decrease of 21 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #64,388 to #72,692.
What does the Census say about the background of Gazzara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gazzara, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Gazzara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (263 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gazzara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (7.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Gazzara (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 Gazzara mean?
Of Italian origin, meaning someone from the town of Gazzara. 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 Gazzara (0.10 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 surname Gazzara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.