2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Genese
A surname of French origin indicating the bearer was born in the biblical region of Gennesaret.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Genese. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Genese 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Genese in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Genese, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Genese
The surname GENESE originated in Italy during the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "genesis," which means "origin" or "creation." This name was likely given to someone who was born or lived near a place associated with the beginning or founding of something significant.
GENESE is also thought to be related to the Italian word "genesei," which means "you will be born" or "you will originate." This connection suggests that the name may have been given to a child born under special circumstances or to someone who was considered a founder or pioneer in their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GENESE surname can be found in the Florentine Codex, a 16th-century manuscript that documented the history and culture of the Aztec people. This suggests that the name may have been carried to the Americas during the colonial era by Italian settlers or explorers.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the GENESE surname was Gioacchino GENESE (1592-1668), an Italian architect and engineer who worked on several prominent projects in Rome, including the renovation of the Basilica of St. Peter's and the construction of the Palazzo Spada.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Maria GENESE (1718-1799), an Italian painter and engraver known for her intricate religious and mythological works. Her paintings can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe GENESE (1810-1878) was an Italian composer and conductor who was particularly renowned for his operas and sacred music compositions. He served as the director of the Conservatorio di Musica in Naples for several years.
Francesco GENESE (1856-1923) was an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in the workers' rights movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Finally, Luciano GENESE (1904-1982) was an Italian-born American sculptor and artist who gained recognition for his public art installations and monuments across the United States, including the famous "Spirit of Transportation" sculpture in Detroit, Michigan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Genese
Among Census respondents with the surname Genese, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Genese 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 Genese surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.8% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander17.5% · 18
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Genese
Genese appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+3 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,793 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +3 bearers (+3.0%) | Up 6,793 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 Genese 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 | #160,975 | #154,182 | 4.2% |
| Count | 100 | 103 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Genese bearers went from 100 to 103 (+3.0% change). The surname moved up 6,793 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #154,182.
FAQ
Genese surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Genese?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Genese. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Genese?
Genese ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Genese. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Genese.
Has Genese become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Genese went from 100 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 3 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Genese?
Among Census respondents with the surname Genese, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Genese in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (77 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Genese appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (17.5%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Genese (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 Genese mean?
A surname of French origin indicating the bearer was born in the biblical region of Gennesaret. 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 Genese (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 are called Genese?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Genese? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.