The Genovese surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,147 people carried this name — #6,579 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 57,500 people counted. That is up 1% from 5,082 in 2000.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the Genovese surname
Borrowed from Italian.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Genovese» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 1,705 people named Genovese live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
354 people named Genovese live in Switzerland.
They live in 15 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 288 people named Genovese.
Most of them — 153 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 21 départements, most often Bouches-du-Rhône.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 81 people named Genovese live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Hainaut.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Genovese in American newspapers,
1906–1926.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,515 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Genovese,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Vito Genovese 1897–1969 · drug trafficker -
Rino Genovese 1905–1967 · actor -
Luigi Genovese 1925–2015 · politician -
Kitty Genovese 1935–1964 · waiter -
Renato Genovese 1950– · writer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 100 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Genovese.
- Genin 265 · U.S. census
- Genis 799 · U.S. census
- Genna 736 · U.S. census
- Gennari 373 · U.S. census
- Gennaro 1,304 · U.S. census
- Genova 2,355 · U.S. census
- Genovesi 339 · U.S. census
- Genre 138 · U.S. census
- Gens 535 · U.S. census
- Gensel 578 · U.S. census
- Genser 284 · U.S. census
- Genson 657 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Genovese is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.