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

Gonis, 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 Gonis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gonis in America

Gonis is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gonis surname appeared 106 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gonis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gonis 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 Gonis

The surname GONIS is of Greek origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era in the Byzantine Empire. The name is derived from the Greek word "gonos," meaning "offspring" or "descendant," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been descendants of a notable individual or family.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GONIS surname can be found in historical documents from the island of Crete, which was under Venetian rule during the 13th and 14th centuries. The name appears in various forms, such as "Gonis" and "Gonidis," reflecting the linguistic variations and regional dialects of the time.

In the 15th century, the GONIS surname gained prominence in the city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), which was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Several notable individuals bore this surname during this period, including the scholar and theologian Georgios GONIS (1430-1495), who authored several influential works on Byzantine history and theology.

As the Ottoman Empire expanded its territory in the 16th century, many Greek families bearing the GONIS surname were forced to flee their homeland and seek refuge in other parts of Europe. Some settled in Italy, where they established thriving communities and continued to use their ancestral surname.

One such figure was Konstantinos GONIS (1550-1628), a prominent merchant and philanthropist who helped establish the Greek Orthodox community in Venice. His legacy can be traced through historical records and the endowments he made to various religious and cultural institutions.

In the 18th century, the GONIS surname found its way to Russia, where a Greek diaspora community had formed. One notable bearer of the name was Alexandros GONIS (1760-1832), a successful banker and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the economic development of St. Petersburg.

As the centuries progressed, the GONIS surname spread across Europe and beyond, carried by individuals and families seeking new opportunities or fleeing conflict and persecution. Today, the name can be found in various parts of the world, with substantial populations in Greece, Cyprus, and countries with large Greek diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gonis

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

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

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

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