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

Genova, 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 Genova surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Genova in America

Genova is the 13037th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Genova surname appeared 2,355 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Genova.

We can also compare 2010 data for Genova 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 Genova

The surname Genova is of Italian origin, derived from the city of Genoa, located in the northwestern region of Italy. The name can be traced back to the 11th century and is believed to have originated as a locational surname, referring to individuals who hailed from or resided in the city of Genoa.

During the Middle Ages, Genoa was a prosperous maritime republic and a prominent trading center in the Mediterranean. The city's strategic location and commercial prowess contributed to the widespread dissemination of the surname across various regions of Italy and beyond.

In the 13th century, a notable historical figure bearing the name Genova was Jacopo Genova, a renowned Genoese navigator and explorer. He was credited with leading several expeditions to the Black Sea region and establishing trade routes between Genoa and the Byzantine Empire.

The surname Genova appears in various historical documents, including the "Codice Diplomatico della Repubblica di Genova," a collection of diplomatic records and treaties from the Genoese Republic. This compilation provides insights into the prominence of individuals bearing the Genova surname during the city's golden age of maritime trade and exploration.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname dates back to the 14th century, when a certain Giovanni Genova served as a high-ranking official in the Genoese government. His name is documented in the city's administrative records from that era.

Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the surname Genova. In the 15th century, Battista Genova (1447-1516) was a celebrated Genoese painter and sculptor, renowned for his contributions to the Renaissance art movement in Italy.

During the 16th century, Antonio Genova (1530-1599) was a prominent Genoese architect and engineer. He is best known for his work on the design and construction of the iconic Palazzo San Giorgio in Genoa, a historic landmark that still stands today.

In the 18th century, Niccolò Genova (1720-1789) was a respected Italian mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the fields of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.

Another noteworthy figure was Giuseppe Genova (1815-1880), a 19th-century Italian politician and statesman. He played a crucial role in the unification of Italy and served as a member of the Italian Parliament during the early years of the Kingdom of Italy.

Throughout its long history, the surname Genova has been associated with various place names and locations within the city of Genoa itself, such as the districts of Genova Prà, Genova Pegli, and Genova Nervi, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Genova

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!