2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Geneus
A surname meaning "gracious" or "well-born" in Greek.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 338 Americans carry the last name Geneus. That puts it at #71,297 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,014,066 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Geneus 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
338
1 in 1,014,066
Census rank
#71,297
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
295
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 295 bearers of the surname Geneus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 71297th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Geneus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Geneus
The surname "GENEUS" has its origins in France, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "gène," which means "torment" or "suffering." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who endured hardships or difficulties.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Beaumont-lès-Tours, a collection of medieval charters from the Abbey of Beaumont in Tours, France. In this document, dated around 1180, there is a mention of a certain "Robertus Geneus."
The name "GENEUS" also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, from the late 12th century. These were administrative records kept by the English Exchequer, and they list a "Willelmus Geneus" as a landowner in the county.
During the 13th century, the name seems to have spread across various regions of France. A notable figure from this period is Jean Geneus, a prominent merchant from Lyon who was involved in the textile trade. He lived from approximately 1225 to 1290.
In the 14th century, the name "GENEUS" can be found in the records of the University of Paris. One such entry mentions a "Petrus Geneus" who received his degree in theology in 1345.
The 15th century saw the emergence of a prominent family bearing the name "GENEUS" in the region of Normandy, France. This family was known for their involvement in local politics and administration. One of the most notable members was Guillaume Geneus, who served as the mayor of Rouen from 1482 to 1486.
As the centuries passed, the name "GENEUS" continued to spread across Europe, with various spelling variations emerging in different regions. In England, for instance, the name was sometimes rendered as "Jenoure" or "Jenowre."
Another notable figure was Étienne Geneus, a French philosopher and writer who lived from 1600 to 1672. He was known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy, and his ideas were influential during the Enlightenment period.
In the 18th century, the name "GENEUS" gained prominence in the field of medicine. Jean-Baptiste Geneus, born in 1745 in Marseille, France, was a renowned physician and botanist. He made significant contributions to the study of medicinal plants and their therapeutic properties.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Geneus
Among Census respondents with the surname Geneus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Geneus 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 Geneus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.2% · 278
- White2.7% · 8
- Two or more races1.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Geneus
Geneus 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
#82,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 230
+85 bearers (+58.6%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 30,321 places
2020
#71,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 295
+65 bearers (+28.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 10,747 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,044 | 230 | 0.08 | +85 bearers (+58.6%) | Up 30,321 places |
| 2020 | #71,297 | 295 | 0.10 | +65 bearers (+28.3%) | Up 10,747 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 Geneus 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 | #82,044 | #71,297 | 13.1% |
| Count | 230 | 295 | 28.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.10 | 23.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Geneus bearers went from 230 to 295 (+28.3% change). The surname moved up 10,747 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,044 to #71,297.
FAQ
Geneus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Geneus?
Name Census estimates that about 338 living Americans carry the surname Geneus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,014,066 residents.
How common is Geneus?
Geneus ranks #71,297 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 295 people with the surname Geneus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (338), 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 Geneus.
Has Geneus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Geneus went from 230 recorded bearers to 295. That is an increase of 65 (+28.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #82,044 to #71,297.
What does the Census say about the background of Geneus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Geneus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Geneus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (278 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Geneus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.2%), White (2.7%), Two or More Races (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 Geneus (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 Geneus mean?
A surname meaning "gracious" or "well-born" in Greek. 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 Geneus (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 common is the surname Geneus?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Geneus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.