Explore the Family Name Gonzaga

The meaning of Gonzaga

Spanish: habitational name from a place so named in Mantua, Italy; this was the home of the ruling family of Mantua for almost four centuries, whose most famous son was Saint Aloysius (Luigi) Gonzaga (1568–91), a young Jesuit who died in Rome nursing plague victims. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Ana, Eduardo, Guillermo, Juanito, Luz, Manuel, Ricardo, Rufina, Teodosio, Alicia, Andres, Aniceto. Italian Caesar, Fausto, Clemente, Leonardo.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Gonzaga grew in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Gonzaga was ranked 15,093 in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had risen to rank 11,185, a significant increase of 25.89%. The count of people with this surname also increased from 1,793 in 2000 to 2,827 in 2010 — a notable growth of 57.67%. Furthermore, the proportion of people named Gonzaga per 100,000 increased by 45.45% over this period.

20002010Change
Rank#15,093#11,18525.89%
Count1,7932,82757.67%
Proportion per 100k0.660.9645.45%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gonzaga

The ethnic identity associated with the Gonzaga surname has seen some changes as well, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. Between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of people who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by 15.89%, while those identifying as two or more races also saw a decrease of 29.65%. Meanwhile, the proportion of White individuals with the Gonzaga surname rose slightly by 4.32%. However, the biggest change was seen among those identifying as Hispanic, which showed an increase of 15.76%. There were no Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals reported with this surname during both census years.

20002010Change
Hispanic43.39%50.23%15.76%
Asian/Pacific Islander40.71%34.24%-15.89%
White10.88%11.35%4.32%
Two or More Races4.52%3.18%-29.65%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%