2000
#2,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,938
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.54
Uncommon Last name
Gentile
From the Latin word meaning "noble," "kind," or "generous," referring to a person with such qualities.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,921 Americans carry the last name Gentile. That puts it at #2,535 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,528 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gentile 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gentile with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,528
Census rank
#2,535
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,884 bearers of the surname Gentile in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2535th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gentile, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gentile
The surname Gentile has its origins in Italy, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "gentile," which means "of noble birth" or "of gentle manners." The name was likely given to individuals who displayed refined qualities or belonged to the gentry class.
During the medieval period, the Gentile name was prevalent in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern regions such as Veneto, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna. Some early records indicate the presence of the name in the city of Venice as early as the 13th century.
One notable historical figure bearing the Gentile surname was Giovanni Gentile, an Italian philosopher and politician who lived from 1875 to 1944. He was a prominent advocate of Actual Idealism and served as the Minister of Public Education in Benito Mussolini's government.
Another well-known Gentile was Artemisia Gentileschi, a remarkable Italian Baroque painter who lived from 1593 to 1656. She was one of the first female artists to gain recognition and acclaim in the male-dominated art world of her time.
The Gentile name can also be found in various historical records and manuscripts from different regions of Italy. For instance, the Codex Gentile, a 14th-century manuscript containing legal texts and statutes from the city of Padua, bears the Gentile name.
In terms of place names, the town of Gentile di Sicilia in southern Italy is believed to have derived its name from the Gentile family who once held significant influence in the area. Additionally, the noble Gentile family of Venice left their mark on the city's history and architecture, with several palaces and buildings bearing their name.
Other notable individuals with the Gentile surname include Guido Gentile, an Italian mathematician and philosopher who lived from 1834 to 1916, and Luigi Gentile, an Italian painter and sculptor active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Gentile surname has a rich history and a strong connection to Italian culture and nobility. While its meaning has evolved over time, it remains a testament to the enduring presence of this name in various aspects of Italian history and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gentile
Among Census respondents with the surname Gentile, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gentile 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 Gentile surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 12,797
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 626
- Two or more races2.0% · 273
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 101
- Black or African American0.6% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gentile
Gentile 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
#2,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,873
-65 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 5.04
Rank movement Down 206 places
2020
#2,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,884
-989 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 4.65
Rank movement Down 99 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,230 | 14,938 | 5.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,436 | 14,873 | 5.04 | -65 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 206 places |
| 2020 | #2,535 | 13,884 | 4.65 | -989 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 99 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 Gentile 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 | #2,436 | #2,535 | -4.1% |
| Count | 14,873 | 13,884 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 5.04 | 4.65 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gentile bearers went from 14,873 to 13,884 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 99 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,436 to #2,535.
FAQ
Gentile surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gentile?
Name Census estimates that about 15,921 living Americans carry the surname Gentile. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,528 residents.
How common is Gentile?
Gentile ranks #2,535 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,884 people with the surname Gentile. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,921), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Gentile.
Has Gentile become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gentile went from 14,873 recorded bearers to 13,884. That is a decrease of 989 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,436 to #2,535.
What does the Census say about the background of Gentile?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gentile, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Gentile in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (12,797 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gentile appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Gentile (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 Gentile mean?
From the Latin word meaning "noble," "kind," or "generous," referring to a person with such qualities. 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 Gentile (4.65 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 share the surname Gentile?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.