The Goncalves surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,000 people carried this name — #4,437 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 36,900 people counted. That is up 34% from 5,959 in 2000.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the Goncalves surname
From Portuguese Gonçalves.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Goncalves» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
6,346 people named Goncalves live in Switzerland.
They live in 25 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 Argentina’s national register
At least 3,761 people named Goncalves 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 France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 2,768 people named Goncalves.
Most of them — 1,720 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 91 départements, most often Paris.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere 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 52 people named Goncalves 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 Poland’s population register
23 people named Goncalves have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 67 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 6 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lower Silesian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
76 people named Goncalves is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In print
Goncalves in American newspapers,
1904–1922.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 366 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Goncalves,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Jean-Philippe Goncalves 1978– · composer -
Yohan Goutt Goncalves 1994– · alpine skier -
Mendo Gonçalves da Maia 1020–1065
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Joe Goncalves 1937–2022 · poet
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Antonio Goncalves 1971– · computer scientist
-
Merlot 1974– · singer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 54 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Goncalves.
- Gomer 1,293 · U.S. census
- Gomes 24,827 · U.S. census
- Gomez 365,655 · U.S. census
- Gomila 135 · U.S. census
- Gomis 160 · U.S. census
- Gon 418 · U.S. census
- Gonce 865 · U.S. census
- Gonda 1,086 · U.S. census
- Gondal 262 · U.S. census
- Gonella 168 · U.S. census
- Gonet 428 · U.S. census
- Gongora 3,205 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Goncalves 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.