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

Gygi, 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 Gygi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gygi in America

Gygi is the 60960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gygi surname appeared 330 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 Gygi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gygi 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 Gygi

The surname GYGI is of Swiss origin, with roots that can be traced back to the 16th century in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland. The name is thought to be derived from the Swiss-German word "Gygi," which means "fidgety" or "restless," suggesting that the name may have been given as a descriptive nickname to an ancestor who exhibited such traits.

The earliest known record of the GYGI surname appears in the parish records of the village of Malters, in the canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, dating back to the late 1500s. In these records, the name is often spelled as "Gygi" or variations such as "Gyggi" or "Giggi."

One of the earliest notable individuals with the GYGI surname was Hans Gygi (1590-1657), a farmer and landowner from the village of Entlebuch, in the canton of Lucerne. Records indicate that he owned a substantial amount of land and was a respected member of the local community.

In the 18th century, the GYGI surname began to spread beyond the Swiss borders, with some members of the family migrating to neighboring regions of Germany and France. One such individual was Johann Gygi (1712-1784), who settled in the Alsace region of France and became a successful vintner.

Another notable figure in the history of the GYGI surname was Jakob Gygi (1802-1878), a Swiss politician and lawyer from the canton of Bern. He served as a member of the Swiss Federal Council, the country's executive body, from 1848 to 1852, and played a significant role in the drafting of the Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, several members of the GYGI family made their mark in various fields, including:

1. Ernst Gygi (1842-1909), a Swiss architect known for designing several notable buildings in Bern, including the Bern Historical Museum.
2. Gottlieb Gygi (1865-1941), a Swiss artist and painter who specialized in landscape and genre paintings, particularly depicting scenes from rural Switzerland.
3. Emil Gygi (1875-1948), a Swiss engineer and businessman who founded the Gygi Machinery Company, a successful manufacturer of textile machinery.
4. Anna Gygi (1899-1985), a Swiss writer and poet who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of nature, love, and spirituality.
5. Max Gygi (1912-1988), a Swiss architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the development and modernization of cities in Switzerland and abroad.

While the GYGI surname has its roots in Switzerland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich heritage and legacy of this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gygi

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

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

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

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