2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gigous
A French surname indicating a cheerful or lively person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Gigous. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gigous 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Gigous in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gigous, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gigous
The surname "GIGOUS" is of French origin and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Normandy, in northern France. The name may have its roots in the Old French word "gigue," which referred to a type of lively dance or musical instrument.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in a parish record from the town of Rouen, Normandy, dated 1592. The record mentions a certain Jean Gigous, a farmer in the village of Petit-Couronne. This suggests that the name was already in use among the rural population of Normandy during that time period.
In the 17th century, the Gigous surname appears to have spread to other parts of France, with records showing families bearing this name in regions such as Brittany and Poitou. It is possible that the name may have been influenced by the French word "gigot," which means "leg of lamb" or "haunch," potentially indicating an occupation or nickname related to the butchery trade.
A notable figure in history with the Gigous surname was Pierre Gigous, a French naval officer who served during the reign of Louis XIV in the late 17th century. He was born in 1658 in La Rochelle and participated in several naval battles against the English and Dutch fleets.
Another individual of note was Michel Gigous, a French philosopher and writer who lived in the 18th century. Born in 1720 in Toulouse, he authored several works on moral philosophy and political theory, including "Essai sur la nature de l'homme" (Essay on the Nature of Man), published in 1761.
In the 19th century, the Gigous surname can be found in various records from France, such as birth and marriage registers. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Jacques Gigous, a prominent lawyer and judge in Paris, born in 1812.
The name Gigous also appears to have spread to other parts of Europe, with records indicating families with this surname in countries like Belgium and Switzerland, likely due to migration patterns.
It is worth mentioning that variations in spelling, such as "Gigos" or "Gigault," may have existed in different regions or time periods, reflecting local dialects or scribal practices.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gigous
Among Census respondents with the surname Gigous, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gigous 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 Gigous surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gigous
Gigous 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,088 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+11 bearers (+10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,879 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,088 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.5%) | Up 9,879 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 Gigous 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 | #154,907 | #145,028 | 6.4% |
| Count | 105 | 116 | 10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gigous bearers went from 105 to 116 (+10.5% change). The surname moved up 9,879 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #145,028.
FAQ
Gigous surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gigous?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Gigous. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Gigous?
Gigous ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Gigous. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Gigous.
Has Gigous become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gigous went from 105 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 11 (+10.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Gigous?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gigous, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Gigous in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gigous appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (5.2%), Black (0.9%). 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 Gigous (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 Gigous mean?
A French surname indicating a cheerful or lively person. 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 Gigous (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 surname Gigous?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.