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

Gonçalves, 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 Gonçalves surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gonçalves in America

Gonçalves is the 4437th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gonçalves surname appeared 8,000 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Gonçalves.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gonçalves 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 Gonçalves

The surname Goncalves originated in Portugal during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the ancient Portuguese given name Goncalo, which is a variant of the Germanic name Gundisalvus, meaning "battle protector" or "battle savior." The name Goncalves is a patronymic surname, meaning it was initially formed by adding the Portuguese suffix "-es" to Goncalo, indicating "son of Goncalo."

One of the earliest historical records mentioning the Goncalves surname dates back to the 13th century. In 1286, a nobleman named Goncalo Rodrigues Goncalves was mentioned in a charter granted by King Dinis I of Portugal. This document highlights the presence of the Goncalves family among the Portuguese nobility during that era.

In the 14th century, another notable figure bearing the Goncalves surname was João Goncalves, a Portuguese explorer and navigator. He is credited with discovering the Madeira Islands in 1418, leading to the establishment of Portuguese settlements in the Atlantic.

During the 15th century, the Goncalves surname gained further prominence when Nuno Goncalves (c. 1450-1491), a renowned Portuguese painter, produced his masterpiece, the Panels of St. Vincent. This work is considered one of the most significant examples of early Portuguese Renaissance art.

In the 16th century, the Goncalves family continued to play an important role in Portuguese history. Antão Goncalves (c. 1480-1542), a Portuguese explorer and navigator, is known for his exploration of the Moluccas Islands in the East Indies, contributing to the expansion of the Portuguese maritime empire.

Another notable figure with the Goncalves surname was Fernão Gomes Goncalves (c. 1550-1628), a Portuguese architect and engineer. He was responsible for designing and constructing several important buildings in Portugal, including the Monastery of Santa Maria de Belém in Lisbon.

As the Goncalves surname spread throughout Portugal, it also found its way to Portuguese colonies and territories around the world. Today, the surname Goncalves is prevalent not only in Portugal but also in Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, and other regions with historical ties to the Portuguese empire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gonçalves

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

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

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

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