Gordo last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Gordo

A surname derived from the Spanish word meaning "fat" or "stout".

Gordo, 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 Gordo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gordo in America

Gordo is the 45804th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gordo surname appeared 466 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 Gordo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gordo 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 45804 48665 -6.06%
Count 466 407 13.52%
Proportion per 100k 0.16 0.15 6.45%

The history of the last name Gordo

The surname Gordo has its roots in the Spanish language and originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "gordo," which means "fat" or "stout." This descriptive name was likely given to someone who was heavy-set or robust in appearance.

The earliest recorded instances of the Gordo surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Spain, such as Castile, Aragon, and Andalusia. It is believed that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive term before becoming an established surname.

One of the earliest documented references to the Gordo name can be found in the Libro de la Montería (Book of the Hunt) from the 14th century, which was commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile. This hunting treatise mentions a person named Juan Gordo, who was likely a hunter or a landowner at the time.

During the 15th century, the Gordo surname gained prominence in the city of Seville, located in the southern region of Andalusia. Historical records from this period mention several notable individuals with the Gordo name, including Pedro Gordo, a prominent merchant who lived in the late 1400s.

In the 16th century, the Gordo surname spread beyond Spain as a result of Spanish exploration and colonization. One notable individual was Hernán Gordo, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 1500s.

Another prominent figure with the Gordo surname was Miguel Gordo, a Spanish painter who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his religious paintings and worked in the city of Seville.

During the 17th century, the Gordo surname was present in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. One notable individual was Diego Gordo, a Spanish soldier and explorer who was involved in the colonization efforts in present-day Texas and New Mexico in the mid-1600s.

As the centuries passed, the Gordo surname continued to be carried by individuals of Spanish descent, both within Spain and in regions influenced by Spanish colonization and migration. However, it is important to note that the historical records and references mentioned above are not exhaustive, and there may have been other notable individuals with the Gordo surname throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gordo

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

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 Gordo was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 16.74% 78
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.72% 8
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 8.80% 41
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 14.59% 68
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.29% 6
Hispanic Origin 56.87% 265

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 Gordo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 16.74% 24.08% -35.96%
Black 1.72% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 8.80% 9.34% -5.95%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 14.59% 16.71% -13.55%
Two or More Races 1.29% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 56.87% 48.16% 16.59%

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

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

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"Gordo last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 20, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/gordo-surname-popularity/.

"Gordo last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/gordo-surname-popularity/. Accessed 20 May, 2025

Gordo last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/gordo-surname-popularity/.

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