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

Gigante, 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 Gigante surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gigante in America

Gigante is the 22924th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gigante surname appeared 1,116 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 Gigante.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gigante 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 Gigante

The surname Gigante originated in Italy, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "gigante," meaning "giant," and was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone of exceptional height or stature.

In its earliest forms, the name was often spelled "Giganti" or "Gighanti," reflecting the regional dialects of the areas where it first appeared. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, where it was well-established by the late medieval period.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Gigante can be found in the records of the Republic of Florence from the 13th century. These records mention a family by the name of Giganti who were prominent citizens and landowners in the city.

Another notable early bearer of the name was Giacomo Gigante, a renowned philosopher and humanist who lived in Naples in the late 15th century (1435-1497). He was known for his commentary on the works of Aristotle and was a respected figure in the intellectual circles of his time.

In the 16th century, the name Gigante appeared in the records of the city of Siena, where a family by that name held significant influence and wealth. One member of this family, Giovanni Gigante (1516-1598), was a respected lawyer and legal scholar who served as a magistrate in the city.

The name Gigante can also be found in the annals of the Catholic Church, with several notable clergymen bearing this surname. One example is Tommaso Gigante (1618-1682), a Neapolitan priest and theologian who wrote extensively on the subject of moral philosophy.

In the 19th century, the Gigante surname gained further prominence with the birth of Pietro Gigante (1809-1876), an Italian politician and statesman who served as a member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia and later as a Senator in the newly unified Kingdom of Italy.

While the name Gigante is most commonly associated with Italy, it has also been recorded in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage. For instance, there are documented instances of the name in Spain and Portugal, where it may have been adopted by Italian immigrants or derived from similar roots in those languages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gigante

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

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

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