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

Guinea, 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 Guinea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Guinea in America

Guinea is the 67747th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Guinea surname appeared 291 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 Guinea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Guinea 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 Guinea

The surname Guinea has its origins in the Republic of Guinea, a country located in West Africa. Derived from the Berber word "aginaw," which means "black," the name Guinea was initially used to refer to the region's inhabitants, particularly those with darker skin tones.

During the medieval period, the surname Guinea was associated with individuals who either hailed from or had ties to the region known as the Gulf of Guinea. This coastal area stretches along the Atlantic Ocean, spanning several modern-day countries, including Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.

Historical records indicate that the name Guinea first appeared in the 13th century, when merchants and explorers from Europe began trading and establishing contact with the coastal regions of West Africa. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the travel writings of the Venetian explorer and merchant, Marco Polo, who documented his encounters with the people of the Gulf of Guinea region during his journeys in the late 13th century.

Over the centuries, the surname Guinea has been recorded in various forms, including Guiney, Guinee, and Guinay, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation across different regions and time periods. Prominent individuals who bore this surname include John Guinea (c. 1492 - 1556), an English merchant and explorer who played a significant role in establishing trade relations between England and West Africa.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Guinea (1565 - 1633), a successful English merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of London's infrastructure, including the construction of several churches and almshouses. In the 18th century, William Guinea (1712 - 1786), a British naval officer, gained recognition for his role in the successful capture of the French island of Guadeloupe during the Seven Years' War.

The surname Guinea also has connections to various place names, particularly in regions with historical ties to West Africa. For instance, the Guinea Fowl, a distinctive bird species native to the Gulf of Guinea region, was named after the area, and its introduction to other parts of the world contributed to the spread of the name Guinea.

As trade and exploration expanded, the name Guinea became more widely known and adopted, reflecting the growing global connections and cultural exchanges between different regions of the world. While the surname Guinea may have its roots in a specific geographic region, it has since transcended its original context and become a part of the diverse tapestry of surnames found across various cultures and societies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Guinea

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

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

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

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