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

Genus, 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 Genus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Genus in America

Genus is the 62359th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Genus surname appeared 321 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Genus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Genus 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 Genus

The surname "GENUS" is believed to have originated in Italy during the Middle Ages, derived from the Latin word "genus" meaning "kind" or "family." It was likely used as a descriptive surname, referring to a person's kinship or lineage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of legal documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Genosius" and "Genusius."

During the Renaissance period, the name "GENUS" gained prominence in intellectual and artistic circles. Notably, Girolamo Genusius (1505-1564), an Italian humanist and scholar, was known for his contributions to the study of ancient texts.

The name also has a connection to the city of Genoa in northern Italy. Some historians suggest that the name "GENUS" may have originated from the Latin name "Genua," referring to the city's inhabitants or those associated with the region.

In the 17th century, a branch of the "GENUS" family settled in the Italian region of Tuscany. One notable figure from this lineage was Giovanni Battista Genus (1623-1697), a prominent lawyer and jurist who served as a magistrate in Florence.

The name "GENUS" also found its way to other parts of Europe, including France and Germany. In the 18th century, Johann Genus (1744-1810), a German philosopher and writer, gained recognition for his works on ethics and moral philosophy.

Throughout history, the surname "GENUS" has been associated with various professions and fields, including law, academia, and the arts. While not a commonly encountered surname today, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of European family names, reflecting the diverse cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped the continent's heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Genus

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Genus, 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!