2000
#54,880
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 351
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Gobbi
An Italian surname derived from the word "gobbo" meaning hunchbacked or hunchbacked person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 423 Americans carry the last name Gobbi. That puts it at #59,236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 810,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gobbi 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
423
1 in 810,294
Census rank
#59,236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
369
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 369 bearers of the surname Gobbi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 59236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gobbi, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gobbi
The surname Gobbi is of Italian origin, derived from the word "gobbo" meaning "hunchback" or "hunchbacked person." It likely emerged as a descriptive surname in the Middle Ages, referring to someone with a physical characteristic or attribute of being hunchbacked.
The earliest known recorded instances of the surname Gobbi can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, where it was commonly used as a descriptive surname for individuals with a noticeable hunched posture or deformity.
In some historical records, the surname Gobbi is also found with variations in spelling, such as Gobo, Gobbo, or Gobbin, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and dialect. Additionally, the name may have been derived from or influenced by certain place names or locations, though specific evidence of this is scarce.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Gobbi was Giovanni Battista Gobbi, an Italian painter and architect who lived in the 16th century (1550-1626). He was active in the city of Genoa and is known for his works in churches and palaces, including the Church of Santissima Annunziata di Portoria.
Another individual of note was Antonio Maria Gobbi (1793-1873), an Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Charity. He dedicated his life to providing education and assistance to the poor and needy in northern Italy.
In the realm of literature, Ferdinando Gobbi (1856-1935) was an Italian writer and journalist known for his contributions to various publications, including the renowned newspaper Corriere della Sera.
The Gobbi surname can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, though its origins and prevalence remain firmly rooted in Italy. For instance, Francesca Gobbi (1655-1731) was a Flemish painter active in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, known for her still-life and flower paintings.
Lastly, Girolamo Gobbi (1557-1626) was an Italian Baroque composer and organist who served in various churches and courts, including the Basilica of San Marco in Venice and the court of Ferrara.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gobbi
Among Census respondents with the surname Gobbi, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gobbi 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 Gobbi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 329
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 24
- Two or more races2.4% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gobbi
Gobbi 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
#52,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 396
+45 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 2,497 places
2020
#59,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 369
-27 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 6,853 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #54,880 | 351 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,383 | 396 | 0.13 | +45 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 2,497 places |
| 2020 | #59,236 | 369 | 0.12 | -27 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 6,853 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 Gobbi 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 | #52,383 | #59,236 | -13.1% |
| Count | 396 | 369 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.12 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gobbi bearers went from 396 to 369 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 6,853 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,383 to #59,236.
FAQ
Gobbi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gobbi?
Name Census estimates that about 423 living Americans carry the surname Gobbi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 810,294 residents.
How common is Gobbi?
Gobbi ranks #59,236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 369 people with the surname Gobbi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (423), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Gobbi.
Has Gobbi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gobbi went from 396 recorded bearers to 369. That is a decrease of 27 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #52,383 to #59,236.
What does the Census say about the background of Gobbi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gobbi, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Gobbi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (329 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gobbi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (6.5%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Gobbi (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 Gobbi mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "gobbo" meaning hunchbacked or hunchbacked 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 Gobbi (0.12 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 are called Gobbi?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Gobbi on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.