2000
#29,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 741
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Govoni
An Italian surname derived from a place name or topographic feature relating to a ravine or gully.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 878 Americans carry the last name Govoni. That puts it at #32,238 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 390,381 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Govoni 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
878
1 in 390,381
Census rank
#32,238
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
766
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 766 bearers of the surname Govoni in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32238th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Govoni, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Govoni
The surname Govoni has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions near the cities of Bologna and Modena. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
One theory suggests that the name Govoni is a patronymic derived from the personal name "Govone" or "Govoni," which may have been a diminutive form of the Germanic name "Gotwin" or "Gotvino." These names were prevalent in the region during the time of the Lombard and Frankish invasions.
Another possibility is that the name Govoni is a locational surname, referring to a specific place or geographical feature in the area. It could be derived from the Italian word "govone," which means a small valley or hollow, suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have resided in such a location.
Historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries in the Emilia-Romagna region mention individuals bearing the surname Govoni. One notable figure was Giovanni Govoni, a Bolognese scholar and jurist who lived in the early 15th century and authored works on canon law.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Govoni family settled in the town of Ferrara, where they became influential landowners and benefactors. Andrea Govoni (1545-1620), a prominent member of this branch, was a patron of the arts and supported the construction of several churches and public buildings in Ferrara.
The 17th century saw the rise of another notable Govoni, Francesco Govoni (1620-1698), a Ferrarese painter and architect. He was renowned for his works in churches and palaces throughout northern Italy and is considered a significant figure in the Baroque art movement.
In the 19th century, the Govoni surname gained literary prominence with the poet and critic Corrado Govoni (1884-1965), a leading figure of the Italian Futurist movement. Born in Tamara, near Ferrara, he published several collections of avant-garde poetry and essays that influenced the development of modern Italian literature.
Another distinguished bearer of the Govoni name was Giannino Govoni (1890-1965), a Italian journalist and politician. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in the socialist and labor movements of the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Govoni
Among Census respondents with the surname Govoni, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Govoni 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 Govoni surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 718
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 22
- Two or more races1.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Govoni
Govoni 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
#29,693
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 793
+52 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 211 places
2020
#32,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 766
-27 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Down 2,545 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,904 | 741 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,693 | 793 | 0.27 | +52 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 211 places |
| 2020 | #32,238 | 766 | 0.26 | -27 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 2,545 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 Govoni 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 | #29,693 | #32,238 | -8.6% |
| Count | 793 | 766 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.26 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Govoni bearers went from 793 to 766 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 2,545 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,693 to #32,238.
FAQ
Govoni surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Govoni?
Name Census estimates that about 878 living Americans carry the surname Govoni. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 390,381 residents.
How common is Govoni?
Govoni ranks #32,238 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 766 people with the surname Govoni. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (878), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Govoni.
Has Govoni become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Govoni went from 793 recorded bearers to 766. That is a decrease of 27 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #29,693 to #32,238.
What does the Census say about the background of Govoni?
Among Census respondents with the surname Govoni, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Govoni in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (718 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Govoni appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Govoni (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 Govoni mean?
An Italian surname derived from a place name or topographic feature relating to a ravine or gully. 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 Govoni (0.26 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 Govoni?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.