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

Genes, 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 Genes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Genes in America

Genes is the 79338th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Genes surname appeared 240 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 Genes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Genes 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 Genes

The surname Genes has its origins in England, with records of the name dating back to the early 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "giens," which means "person from Guienne," a former province in southwestern France. This suggests that the name may have been brought to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1208, where a person named William Genes is mentioned. The Feet of Fines were records of agreements made in the royal courts, often involving the transfer of land or property.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various records with different spellings, such as "Gennes" and "Gienes." These variations were common during that time, as spellings were not standardized, and names were often written phonetically.

The Genes surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most prominent figures was John Genes (c. 1585-1660), an English clergyman who served as the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral in the mid-17th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Genes (c. 1570-1646), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Tavistock in 1624 and 1625.

In the 18th century, James Genes (1718-1793) was a respected English architect known for his work on various churches and country houses in the Palladian style.

Moving into the 19th century, Robert Genes (1820-1897) was a British engineer and inventor who is credited with developing an early version of the safety valve for steam engines.

Lastly, one of the more recent figures with the Genes surname was Sir Charles Genes (1884-1962), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Mauritius from 1942 to 1948.

While the surname Genes is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and includes individuals from various walks of life, from clergy and politicians to architects and engineers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Genes

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

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

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

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