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

Gia, 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 Gia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gia in America

Gia is the 111988th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gia surname appeared 157 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 Gia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gia 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 Gia

The surname GIA has its origins in Italy, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "giaio," which means "joy" or "delight." Alternatively, some scholars suggest that it may have stemmed from the Latin word "gaudium," also meaning "joy" or "gladness."

Historical records indicate that the name GIA was initially concentrated in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, particularly in the areas surrounding the cities of Florence and Perugia. In the 14th century, several documents from the Archivio di Stato di Firenze mention individuals with the surname GIA, though the exact spellings varied slightly, such as "Ghia" or "Ghya."

One of the earliest known references to the name GIA can be found in a manuscript dated 1289, which mentions a certain "Giovanni Gia" from the town of Cortona in Tuscany. This document, now housed in the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, provides valuable insight into the early usage of the surname.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name GIA was Antonio Gia (c. 1420 - 1498), a renowned goldsmith and sculptor from Siena. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy, including the Basilica of San Domenico in Siena.

Another prominent individual was Lucrezia Gia (1515 - 1588), a poet and writer from Florence. Her collection of sonnets, titled "Il Canzoniere di Lucrezia Gia," gained widespread acclaim during her lifetime and is still studied by scholars today.

In the 17th century, the GIA surname appeared in various records related to the Medici family, one of the most powerful and influential dynasties in Renaissance Italy. A certain Filippo Gia (1602 - 1673) is mentioned as a tutor and advisor to the young Grand Duke Ferdinando II de' Medici.

As the centuries passed, the GIA surname spread beyond Italy, with individuals bearing the name appearing in various parts of Europe and eventually migrating to other continents. One notable figure was Pietro Gia (1762 - 1835), an Italian-born architect who settled in Spain and contributed to the design of several notable buildings in Madrid.

Throughout its long history, the surname GIA has been associated with various professions, from artists and writers to scholars and tradesmen. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval era in Italy, the name has since become dispersed across the globe, carrying with it the echoes of its original meaning – joy and delight.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gia

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

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

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

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