2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gemellaro
An Italian surname derived from the word "gemello" meaning twin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Gemellaro. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gemellaro 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Gemellaro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gemellaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gemellaro
The surname Gemellaro is of Italian origin, specifically from Sicily. It is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Latin word "gemellus," meaning "twin" or "double." It is likely that the name was initially given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who had a twin sibling or was associated with twins in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gemellaro name can be found in the archives of the city of Palermo, Sicily, dating back to the 15th century. In these records, a man named Giovanni Gemellaro is mentioned as a landowner and prominent citizen. The name also appears in several historical documents and manuscripts from the same period, indicating that it was well-established in the region.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the Gemellaro name was Gaetano Gemellaro, a Sicilian scholar and naturalist who lived from 1773 to 1857. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of geology and paleontology, particularly in the field of volcanic phenomena and the fossils found in the vicinity of Mount Etna.
Another prominent individual with the Gemellaro surname was Mariano Gemellaro, a lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Sicilian Parliament in the mid-19th century. He was a staunch advocate for the unification of Italy and played a significant role in the political movements of his time.
In the late 19th century, a Sicilian artist named Vincenzo Gemellaro gained recognition for his landscapes and religious paintings. His works can be found in several churches and galleries across Sicily, preserving the cultural heritage of the region.
The Gemellaro name also has ties to the wine industry in Sicily. One notable figure was Antonio Gemellaro, a winemaker who lived in the late 18th century and was renowned for his exceptional vintages. His family's winery and vineyards continue to operate to this day, carrying on the legacy of the Gemellaro name in the region's wine production.
While the Gemellaro surname is more commonly found in Sicily and other parts of southern Italy, it has also been carried by individuals who migrated to other parts of the world, contributing to its global presence and diversity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gemellaro
Among Census respondents with the surname Gemellaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gemellaro 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 Gemellaro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gemellaro
Gemellaro 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+9 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 330 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-12 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 330 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 10,441 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 Gemellaro 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 | #143,149 | #153,590 | -7.3% |
| Count | 116 | 104 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gemellaro bearers went from 116 to 104 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 10,441 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #153,590.
FAQ
Gemellaro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gemellaro?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Gemellaro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Gemellaro?
Gemellaro ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Gemellaro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Gemellaro.
Has Gemellaro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gemellaro went from 116 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Gemellaro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gemellaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Gemellaro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gemellaro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Gemellaro (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 Gemellaro mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "gemello" meaning twin. 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 Gemellaro (0.03 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 Gemellaro?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.