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

Gigi, 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 Gigi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gigi in America

Gigi is the 106096th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gigi surname appeared 168 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 Gigi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gigi 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 Gigi

The surname GIGI has its origins in Italy. It emerged in the late 16th century as a variant of the Italian word "giga", which referred to a lively dance or musical form. The name GIGI is believed to have originated in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, where it was likely used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone associated with music or dancing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GIGI can be found in the archives of the city of Florence, where a certain Giovanni di Gigi is mentioned in a document dated 1587. This document suggests that the surname was already in use by that time. Another early record comes from the town of Modena, where a man named Filippo Gigi was registered in the local census in 1612.

In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Italy, including the regions of Lombardy and Veneto. In Venice, a notable figure named Alessandro Gigi (1592-1656) was a renowned painter and engraver who specialized in religious works and portraits. His artistic contributions helped to establish the name GIGI among the artistic circles of the time.

As the surname GIGI gained recognition, it also became associated with certain place names. For instance, the town of Gigilio, located in the province of Siena, Tuscany, is believed to have derived its name from a variation of the surname GIGI.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname GIGI. One such person was the Italian writer and philosopher Giovanni Gigi (1718-1792), who wrote extensively on topics of ethics and moral philosophy. Another notable figure was the Italian painter and engraver Giuseppe Gigi (1834-1905), whose works were exhibited in various galleries across Europe.

In the 20th century, the name GIGI gained further prominence with the birth of the Italian actress and model Gigi Rizzi (1912-1992), who appeared in several Italian and Hollywood films during the 1940s and 1950s. Additionally, the Italian-American jazz musician and composer Gigi Gryce (1925-1983) made significant contributions to the bebop and cool jazz genres, helping to popularize the surname GIGI in the United States.

While the surname GIGI may have originated from a specific region in Italy, it has since spread across the country and beyond, becoming a recognizable name in various fields, including the arts, literature, and entertainment.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gigi

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

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

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

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