2000
#12,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Gioia
An Italian surname derived from the word "gioia," meaning "joy" or "jewel."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,498 Americans carry the last name Gioia. That puts it at #13,377 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gioia 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
2.5K
1 in 137,212
Census rank
#13,377
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,178 bearers of the surname Gioia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13377th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gioia, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gioia
The surname GIOIA originated in Italy, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian word "gioia," meaning "joy" or "delight." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive surname given to someone with a cheerful or joyful disposition.
The name is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Naples and Campania. It was also prevalent in other parts of southern Italy, such as Calabria and Sicily. In these regions, the name was sometimes spelled as "Gioya" or "Joya" in earlier records.
One of the earliest known references to the surname GIOIA can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of historical documents from the region of Bari, dating back to the 12th century. This collection contains several references to individuals with the surname GIOIA, indicating the name's presence in the area during that time.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Ruggiero GIOIA, also known as Ruggero di Gioia, was a famous navigator and cartographer from the town of Gioia del Colle in the Apulia region of southern Italy. He is credited with the invention of the modern mariner's compass, which revolutionized navigation at sea.
Another prominent individual with the surname GIOIA was Melchiorre GIOIA, a 19th-century Italian philosopher, economist, and historian. He was born in Piacenza in 1767 and is best known for his work "Nuovo prospetto delle scienze economiche" (New Prospect of Economic Sciences), which was influential in the field of political economy.
In the 15th century, a family named GIOIA owned a castle in the town of Gioia del Colle, which was formerly known as "Joya." This suggests that the name may have been derived from or associated with this particular place name.
Other notable individuals with the surname GIOIA include:
1. Nicola GIOIA (1798-1859), an Italian composer and music teacher from Naples.
2. Saverio GIOIA (1887-1963), an Italian painter and sculptor from Calabria.
3. Girolamo GIOIA (1567-1621), an Italian mathematician and astronomer from Naples.
4. Giovanni Battista GIOIA (1595-1667), an Italian architect and engineer from Milan.
5. Francesco GIOIA (1888-1962), an Italian politician and journalist from Calabria.
These examples illustrate the historical presence and significance of the surname GIOIA across various regions of Italy, spanning different time periods and fields of endeavor.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gioia
Among Census respondents with the surname Gioia, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gioia 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 Gioia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 1,977
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 121
- Two or more races2.2% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 22
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gioia
Gioia 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
#13,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,305
+52 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 641 places
2020
#13,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,178
-127 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,605 | 2,253 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,246 | 2,305 | 0.78 | +52 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 641 places |
| 2020 | #13,377 | 2,178 | 0.73 | -127 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 131 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 Gioia 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 | #13,246 | #13,377 | -1.0% |
| Count | 2,305 | 2,178 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.73 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gioia bearers went from 2,305 to 2,178 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 131 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,246 to #13,377.
FAQ
Gioia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gioia?
Name Census estimates that about 2,498 living Americans carry the surname Gioia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,212 residents.
How common is Gioia?
Gioia ranks #13,377 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,178 people with the surname Gioia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,498), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Gioia.
Has Gioia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gioia went from 2,305 recorded bearers to 2,178. That is a decrease of 127 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,246 to #13,377.
What does the Census say about the background of Gioia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gioia, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Gioia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (1,977 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gioia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (5.6%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Gioia (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 Gioia mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "gioia," meaning "joy" or "jewel." 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 Gioia (0.73 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 last name Gioia?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Gioia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.