2000
#13,000
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,162
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Genova
Derived from the Italian city of Genoa, indicating the individual's geographic origin or ancestral connection to the area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,275 Americans carry the last name Genova. That puts it at #14,465 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,661 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Genova 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
2.3K
1 in 150,661
Census rank
#14,465
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,984 bearers of the surname Genova in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14465th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Genova, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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The surname Genova appears in various historical documents, including the "Codice Diplomatico della Repubblica di Genova," a collection of diplomatic records and treaties from the Genoese Republic.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Genova
Among Census respondents with the surname Genova, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Genova 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 Genova surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 1,710
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.9% · 97
- Two or more races2.5% · 49
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Genova
Genova 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
#13,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,355
+193 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 37 places
2020
#14,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,984
-371 bearers (-15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 1,428 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,000 | 2,162 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,037 | 2,355 | 0.80 | +193 bearers (+8.9%) | Down 37 places |
| 2020 | #14,465 | 1,984 | 0.66 | -371 bearers (-15.8%) | Down 1,428 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 Genova 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 | #13,037 | #14,465 | -11.0% |
| Count | 2,355 | 1,984 | -15.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.66 | -17.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Genova bearers went from 2,355 to 1,984 (-15.8% change). The surname moved down 1,428 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,037 to #14,465.
FAQ
Genova surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Genova?
Name Census estimates that about 2,275 living Americans carry the surname Genova. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,661 residents.
How common is Genova?
Genova ranks #14,465 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,984 people with the surname Genova. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,275), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Genova.
Has Genova become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Genova went from 2,355 recorded bearers to 1,984. That is a decrease of 371 (-15.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,037 to #14,465.
What does the Census say about the background of Genova?
Among Census respondents with the surname Genova, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Genova in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (1,710 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Genova appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Hispanic (5.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Genova (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 Genova mean?
Derived from the Italian city of Genoa, indicating the individual's geographic origin or ancestral connection to the area. 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 Genova (0.66 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 Genova?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.