Explore the Family Name Gana

The meaning of Gana

1. Slovak (Gaňa): unexplained. 2. Basque: topographic name derived from (a variant of) gain ‘peak, summit’ + the definite article -a. 3. Hispanic (Philippines): nickname from Spanish gana ‘appetite; enthusiasm’, a word borrowed into various languages of the Philippines. 4. Indian: shortened form of Ganapathy, adopted as a casteless surname. 5. West African (Nigeria): unexplained.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Gana in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Gana has seen an increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Gana was ranked 56,246th in terms of popularity, but by 2010, it had risen to 49,723rd, marking an 11.6% increase. The count of individuals bearing this surname also saw a significant rise from 340 in 2000 to 422 in 2010, which is a 24.12% increase. Accordingly, the proportion of the Gana surname per 100k people slightly increased from 0.13 to 0.14, showing an overall growth of 7.69%.

20002010Change
Rank#56,246#49,72311.6%
Count34042224.12%
Proportion per 100k0.130.147.69%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gana

Ethnicity wise, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts among those with the Gana surname from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander rose from 14.71% to 17.30%, resulting in a 17.61% change. The Hispanic population with this surname grew marginally from 11.76% to 12.09%. A substantial increase occurred within the Black community as the share escalated from 5.88% to 11.61%, marking a striking 97.45% change. However, there was a decrease in the White population having this surname from 65.88% to 54.98%, a drop of 16.55%. The data does not register any changes for those identifying as having two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities.

20002010Change
White65.88%54.98%-16.55%
Asian/Pacific Islander14.71%17.3%17.61%
Hispanic11.76%12.09%2.81%
Black5.88%11.61%97.45%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%