2000
#5,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,959
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.21
Uncommon Last name
Goncalves
A Portuguese patronymic surname meaning "son of Gonçalo," derived from the Latin Gundisalvus, meaning "battle helmet."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,153 Americans carry the last name Goncalves. That puts it at #3,576 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,732 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Goncalves 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Goncalves with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,732
Census rank
#3,576
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,726 bearers of the surname Goncalves in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3576th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Goncalves, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Hispanic (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Goncalves
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Goncalves
Among Census respondents with the surname Goncalves, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Hispanic (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Goncalves 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 Goncalves surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.9% · 6,799
- Black or African American16.0% · 1,555
- Hispanic or Latino9.3% · 901
- Two or more races2.9% · 286
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 162
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Goncalves
Goncalves 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
#4,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,000
+2,041 bearers (+34.3%)
Per 100,000 2.71
Rank movement Up 942 places
2020
#3,576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,726
+1,726 bearers (+21.6%)
Per 100,000 3.25
Rank movement Up 861 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,379 | 5,959 | 2.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,437 | 8,000 | 2.71 | +2,041 bearers (+34.3%) | Up 942 places |
| 2020 | #3,576 | 9,726 | 3.25 | +1,726 bearers (+21.6%) | Up 861 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 Goncalves 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 | #4,437 | #3,576 | 19.4% |
| Count | 8,000 | 9,726 | 21.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.71 | 3.25 | 20.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Goncalves bearers went from 8,000 to 9,726 (+21.6% change). The surname moved up 861 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,437 to #3,576.
FAQ
Goncalves surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Goncalves?
Name Census estimates that about 11,153 living Americans carry the surname Goncalves. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,732 residents.
How common is Goncalves?
Goncalves ranks #3,576 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,726 people with the surname Goncalves. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,153), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Goncalves.
Has Goncalves become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Goncalves went from 8,000 recorded bearers to 9,726. That is an increase of 1,726 (+21.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,437 to #3,576.
What does the Census say about the background of Goncalves?
Among Census respondents with the surname Goncalves, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Hispanic (9.3%). 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 Goncalves in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.9% (6,799 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Goncalves appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.9%), Black (16.0%), Hispanic (9.3%). 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 Goncalves (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 Goncalves mean?
A Portuguese patronymic surname meaning "son of Gonçalo," derived from the Latin Gundisalvus, meaning "battle helmet." 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 Goncalves (3.25 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 Americans have the surname Goncalves?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.