2000
#8,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,357
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Giardina
An Italian occupational surname referring to a gardener or someone who tended gardens.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,218 Americans carry the last name Giardina. That puts it at #10,842 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,512 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Giardina 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
3.2K
1 in 106,512
Census rank
#10,842
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,806 bearers of the surname Giardina in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10842nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Giardina, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Giardina
The surname Giardina is of Italian origin, specifically from the island of Sicily. It is derived from the Italian word "giardino," meaning "garden." The name likely originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, when surnames became commonplace in Europe.
The earliest known reference to the name Giardina can be found in records from the town of Palermo, Sicily, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention individuals with the surname Giardina, indicating that the name was already established in the region at that time.
During the Renaissance period, the Giardina family played a significant role in the cultural and artistic life of Sicily. One notable member was Vincenzo Giardina (1543-1619), a renowned sculptor who contributed to the embellishment of several churches and palaces in Palermo.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Giardina family migrated from Sicily to the city of Naples, where they became prominent merchants and landowners. One of the most illustrious members from this period was Giuseppe Giardina (1720-1798), a successful businessman and philanthropist.
As the Giardina name spread beyond Sicily, it also appeared in various historical records across Italy. For instance, in the 19th century, there are mentions of Angelo Giardina (1824-1892), a lawyer and politician from the region of Calabria, and Giovanni Giardina (1856-1925), a noted philosopher and educator from Puglia.
Other notable individuals bearing the surname Giardina include the Italian film director and screenwriter Lina Wertmüller, whose birth name was Arcangela Felice Assunta Wertmüller von Elgg Spañol von Braueich Giardina (born 1928), and the American author, journalist, and activist Robert Giardina (1935-2010), best known for his novel "Bronx Primitive."
While the surname Giardina is not among the most common in Italy, it continues to be associated with its origins in Sicily and the rich cultural heritage of the island.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Giardina
Among Census respondents with the surname Giardina, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Giardina 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 Giardina surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 2,645
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 95
- Two or more races1.4% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Giardina
Giardina 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
#9,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,565
+208 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 194 places
2020
#10,842
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,806
-759 bearers (-21.3%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 1,692 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,956 | 3,357 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,150 | 3,565 | 1.21 | +208 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 194 places |
| 2020 | #10,842 | 2,806 | 0.94 | -759 bearers (-21.3%) | Down 1,692 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 Giardina 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 | #9,150 | #10,842 | -18.5% |
| Count | 3,565 | 2,806 | -21.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 0.94 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Giardina bearers went from 3,565 to 2,806 (-21.3% change). The surname moved down 1,692 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,150 to #10,842.
FAQ
Giardina surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Giardina?
Name Census estimates that about 3,218 living Americans carry the surname Giardina. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,512 residents.
How common is Giardina?
Giardina ranks #10,842 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,806 people with the surname Giardina. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Giardina.
Has Giardina become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Giardina went from 3,565 recorded bearers to 2,806. That is a decrease of 759 (-21.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,150 to #10,842.
What does the Census say about the background of Giardina?
Among Census respondents with the surname Giardina, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Giardina in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (2,645 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Giardina appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Giardina (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 Giardina mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a gardener or someone who tended gardens. 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 Giardina (0.94 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 common is the surname Giardina?
You can see how many people have the last name Giardina on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.