2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gono
Of Portuguese origin, a variation of "Gonçalves" meaning son of Gonçalo or son of the servant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Gono. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gono 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Gono in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gono, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.2%) and White (13.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gono
The surname GONO has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Spain and Portugal, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "gona," which means "skirt" or "dress." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive surname, possibly referring to a person's occupation or trade related to clothing or textiles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GONO surname can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, Spain, where a certain Pedro Gono is mentioned in a document from the year 1487. This document pertains to a land dispute, indicating that the Gono family may have been landowners or involved in agriculture during that time.
In the 16th century, the GONO surname appeared in various records across Spain and Portugal, with variations in spelling such as Gono, Gonho, and Gonyo. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era.
A notable figure with the GONO surname was Juan Gono, a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was born in Seville in 1467 and is believed to have accompanied Christopher Columbus on his third voyage to the New World in 1498.
Another individual of historical significance was Maria Gono, a Portuguese woman who lived in the 17th century and was renowned for her philanthropic efforts. She established a charitable organization in Lisbon that provided aid and support to orphans and families in need. Records indicate that she was born in 1623 and passed away in 1698.
In the 18th century, the GONO surname gained prominence in the arts. Francisco Gono was a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived from 1712 to 1789. His works, which were primarily religious in nature, adorned numerous churches and cathedrals across Spain.
Moving into the 19th century, one notable figure was Antonio Gono, a Spanish military officer who fought in the Carlist Wars, a series of civil wars in Spain between the supporters of the ruling monarchy and the Carlists, who sought to establish a separate line of succession. Antonio Gono was born in 1812 and died in battle in 1839.
While the GONO surname is not as common today as it once was, it continues to hold historical significance, particularly in Spain and Portugal, where it has endured for over five centuries, bearing witness to the rich cultural heritage of the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gono
Among Census respondents with the surname Gono, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.2%) and White (13.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gono 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 Gono surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American44.0% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander31.2% · 34
- White13.8% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gono
Gono appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,839 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 5,839 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 Gono 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 | #156,044 | #150,205 | 3.7% |
| Count | 104 | 109 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gono bearers went from 104 to 109 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 5,839 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #150,205.
FAQ
Gono surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gono?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Gono. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Gono?
Gono ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Gono. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Gono.
Has Gono become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gono went from 104 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 5 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Gono?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gono, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (31.2%) and White (13.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gono in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.0% (48 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gono appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (44.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (31.2%), White (13.8%). 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 Gono (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 Gono mean?
Of Portuguese origin, a variation of "Gonçalves" meaning son of Gonçalo or son of the servant. 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 Gono (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 are called Gono?
Find out how many people have the last name Gono on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.