2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gnoza
A rare Polish or Russian surname with an uncertain origin and meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Gnoza. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gnoza 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Gnoza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gnoza, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gnoza
The surname Gnoza has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "gnoza," which means "knowledge" or "wisdom." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was known for their intelligence or scholarly pursuits.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Gnoza can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Padovano," a collection of historical documents from the city of Padua, dated around the 12th century. In this text, there is a reference to a certain "Gnoza de Monselice," indicating that the name was present in the Veneto region of northern Italy during that time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Guglielmo Gnoza (c. 1300-1370) was a renowned jurist and professor of law at the University of Bologna. He authored several influential works on legal theory and is considered one of the foremost legal scholars of his era.
Another historical figure bearing the surname Gnoza was Battista Gnoza (c. 1450-1520), a Venetian merchant and diplomat who played a significant role in establishing trade relations between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire. He is mentioned in various diplomatic correspondence and chronicles from that period.
During the Renaissance, the Gnoza family produced several artists and artisans. One such individual was Girolamo Gnoza (c. 1510-1580), a skilled sculptor and woodcarver from Verona. His works can be found in various churches and palaces throughout northern Italy, including the famous Basilica of San Zeno in Verona.
In the 17th century, the name Gnoza appears in connection with a small village called Gnozza, located in the province of Reggio Emilia, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is possible that the surname is derived from this place name, although the exact origins remain uncertain.
Another notable figure was Antonio Gnoza (c. 1620-1690), a Venetian painter known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and galleries across Venice and the surrounding areas.
While the surname Gnoza is not among the most common in Italy, it has maintained a presence throughout the country's history, particularly in the northern regions. The name's connection to knowledge and wisdom has likely contributed to its enduring legacy, with several individuals bearing this surname making significant contributions in various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gnoza
Among Census respondents with the surname Gnoza, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gnoza 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 Gnoza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gnoza
Gnoza 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+12 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,223 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-13 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 2,223 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 13,072 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 Gnoza 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 | #135,593 | #148,665 | -9.6% |
| Count | 124 | 111 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gnoza bearers went from 124 to 111 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 13,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #148,665.
FAQ
Gnoza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gnoza?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Gnoza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Gnoza?
Gnoza ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Gnoza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Gnoza.
Has Gnoza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gnoza went from 124 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Gnoza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gnoza, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Gnoza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gnoza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Gnoza (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 Gnoza mean?
A rare Polish or Russian surname with an uncertain origin and meaning. 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 Gnoza (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 last name Gnoza?
See how many people are called Gnoza on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.