2000
#114,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ghiorso
A surname of Italian or Corsican origin meaning "day laborer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Ghiorso. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ghiorso 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Ghiorso in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghiorso, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ghiorso
The surname Ghiorso is of Italian origin, with its roots tracing back to the northern regions of the country, particularly in the areas around Venice and Padua. The name is believed to have derived from the Italian word "ghirsa," which means "wooded hill" or "wooded area." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have resided near or originated from such a geographic location.
In terms of historical references, the Ghiorso surname can be found in various ancient records and manuscripts, although its appearances are relatively sparse compared to some more common Italian surnames. One notable mention of the name is found in the "Codice Diplomatico Padovano," a compilation of diplomatic documents from the medieval city of Padua, dated around the 13th century.
The earliest recorded instances of the Ghiorso surname can be traced back to the late 15th century, with a few notable individuals bearing the name. One such example is Giovanni Battista Ghiorso, a Venetian artist and sculptor who lived between 1460 and 1535. His works can still be admired in various churches and museums across Venice and the surrounding regions.
Another prominent figure with the Ghiorso surname was Filippo Ghiorso, a renowned physician and philosopher who lived from 1567 to 1631. He was born in Padua and made significant contributions to the field of medicine, particularly in the study of anatomy and the treatment of infectious diseases.
In the 18th century, the Ghiorso family was known to have a presence in the town of Montagnana, near Padua. One notable member from this period was Antonio Ghiorso, a respected lawyer and judge who lived from 1712 to 1784. His legal expertise and integrity earned him a reputation throughout the region.
Moving forward to the 19th century, a prominent figure with the Ghiorso surname was Giacomo Ghiorso, born in 1827 in Venice. He was a celebrated architect and urban planner, responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and public spaces in Venice and surrounding areas.
While the Ghiorso surname may not be as widely recognized as some other Italian family names, its rich history and connections to various influential individuals across different fields and time periods make it a distinctive and intriguing name with deep roots in the northern regions of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ghiorso
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghiorso, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ghiorso 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 Ghiorso surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 9
- Two or more races6.6% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ghiorso
Ghiorso 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
-3 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 9,630 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-18 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,513 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,166 | 142 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | -3 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 9,630 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 17,513 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 Ghiorso 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 | #123,796 | #141,309 | -14.1% |
| Count | 139 | 121 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ghiorso bearers went from 139 to 121 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 17,513 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #141,309.
FAQ
Ghiorso surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ghiorso?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Ghiorso. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Ghiorso?
Ghiorso ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Ghiorso. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ghiorso.
Has Ghiorso become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ghiorso went from 139 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 18 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Ghiorso?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghiorso, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (6.6%). 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 Ghiorso in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ghiorso appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Hispanic (7.4%), Two or More Races (6.6%). 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 Ghiorso (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 Ghiorso mean?
A surname of Italian or Corsican origin meaning "day laborer." 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 Ghiorso (0.04 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 last name Ghiorso?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Ghiorso on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.