2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gonza
A surname of Spanish origin, possibly derived from the word "gonzalez" meaning son of Gonzalo.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Gonza. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gonza 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Gonza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gonza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.8%. The next largest groups are White (19.5%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gonza
The surname "Gonza" is believed to have its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Spanish word "gonzar," which means "to mock" or "to ridicule." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone known for their mocking or jesting behavior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a collection of medieval manuscripts from the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain. In this document, dated around the 12th century, there is a mention of a person named "Gonzalvo Gonza."
The Gonza name is also believed to have ties to the Spanish region of Navarre, where it may have originated from the place name "Gonza," a small village located in the municipality of Viana. This place name is thought to have derived from the Basque word "gontze," meaning "bell" or "clapper."
In the 13th century, there are records of a nobleman named Lope Gonza, who served as a knight under the reign of King Alfonso X of Castile. Another notable figure was Pedro Gonza, a prominent merchant from Seville who lived in the 15th century and was involved in trade with the Americas.
During the 16th century, the Gonza name appeared in various parts of Spain, including Andalusia and Catalonia. One notable individual from this period was Juan Gonza de Mendoza (1545-1618), a Spanish soldier and author who wrote about his experiences in the wars against the Ottoman Empire.
In the 17th century, the Gonza surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Italy and France. One notable individual from this time was Francesco Gonza (1620-1690), an Italian painter and architect known for his work in the Baroque style.
As the centuries progressed, the Gonza name continued to appear across different regions and contexts, with individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various fields, from the arts and literature to politics and warfare.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gonza
Among Census respondents with the surname Gonza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.8%. The next largest groups are White (19.5%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gonza 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 Gonza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino70.8% · 80
- White19.5% · 22
- Black or African American4.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 5
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gonza
Gonza 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+33 bearers (+32.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 21,834 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-21 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,727 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +33 bearers (+32.7%) | Up 21,834 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 19,727 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 Gonza 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 | #127,494 | #147,221 | -15.5% |
| Count | 134 | 113 | -15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -24.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gonza bearers went from 134 to 113 (-15.7% change). The surname moved down 19,727 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #147,221.
FAQ
Gonza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gonza?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Gonza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Gonza?
Gonza ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Gonza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Gonza.
Has Gonza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gonza went from 134 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 21 (-15.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Gonza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gonza, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.8%. The next largest groups are White (19.5%) and Black (4.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gonza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.8% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gonza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (70.8%), White (19.5%), Black (4.4%). 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 Gonza (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 Gonza mean?
A surname of Spanish origin, possibly derived from the word "gonzalez" meaning son of Gonzalo. 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 Gonza (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 have the last name Gonza?
Want to know how common the surname Gonza is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.