2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lagambina
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "gamba" meaning leg, perhaps originally referring to someone with a distinctive gait or physical characteristic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Lagambina. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lagambina 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Lagambina in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lagambina, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lagambina
The surname Lagambina originates from Italy, specifically the region of Sicily. It is derived from the Italian words "la gamba" meaning "the leg" and the diminutive suffix "-ina". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone with a peculiar leg or gait.
The earliest known recorded instance of the Lagambina surname dates back to the late 13th century in the town of Palermo, Sicily. A document from the year 1287 lists a "Nicola Lagambina" as a landowner in the area. This indicates that the name was already established and associated with a family of some means at that time.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Lagambina name appeared in various records and documents throughout Sicily. One notable mention is in a chronicle from the year 1423, which recounts the exploits of a Palermitan soldier named Guglielmo Lagambina who fought against the Aragonese forces in the Sicilian Wars of Independence.
In the 16th century, the Lagambina family gained prominence in the town of Messina, Sicily. A branch of the family settled in the nearby village of Roccalumera, where they established themselves as landowners and local gentry. The name "Lagambina" is still found in this region today.
Some historical figures who bore the Lagambina surname include:
1. Vincenzo Lagambina (1523-1591), a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Messina, who authored several treatises on Sicilian law.
2. Girolamo Lagambina (1620-1692), a Baroque-era painter and art collector from Palermo, known for his religious works and portraits.
3. Maria Lagambina (1738-1804), a poet and playwright from Messina, who gained recognition for her tragedies and comedies in the Sicilian dialect.
4. Salvatore Lagambina (1856-1924), a businessman and philanthropist from Roccalumera, who funded the construction of several public buildings and institutions in the town.
5. Giuseppe Lagambina (1884-1964), a politician and journalist from Messina, who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and founded several regional newspapers.
While the Lagambina surname is relatively uncommon outside of Sicily, it has a rich history and can be traced back several centuries in that region of Italy. The name's origins and evolution reflect the cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped Sicily over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lagambina
Among Census respondents with the surname Lagambina, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lagambina 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 Lagambina surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lagambina
Lagambina 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+12 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,430 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-20 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,428 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 2,430 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 17,428 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 Lagambina 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 | #137,327 | #154,755 | -12.7% |
| Count | 122 | 102 | -16.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lagambina bearers went from 122 to 102 (-16.4% change). The surname moved down 17,428 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #154,755.
FAQ
Lagambina surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lagambina?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Lagambina. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Lagambina?
Lagambina ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Lagambina. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Lagambina.
Has Lagambina become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lagambina went from 122 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 20 (-16.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Lagambina?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lagambina, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Lagambina in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lagambina appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Lagambina (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 Lagambina mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "gamba" meaning leg, perhaps originally referring to someone with a distinctive gait or physical characteristic. 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 Lagambina (0.03 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 surname Lagambina?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.