2000
#2,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,411
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.60
Uncommon Last name
Amato
An Italian surname derived from the past participle of the verb "amare," meaning "beloved" or "loved."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,694 Americans carry the last name Amato. That puts it at #2,951 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,030 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Amato 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Amato with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 25,030
Census rank
#2,951
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,942 bearers of the surname Amato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2951st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Amato, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Amato
The surname Amato originated in Italy and is derived from the Italian word "amato," which means "beloved" or "loved one." It is believed to have emerged as a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who was well-loved or cherished within their community.
The earliest recorded instances of the Amato surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of Italy, including Sicily, Campania, and Calabria. These regions were known for their rich cultural heritage and were heavily influenced by Greek, Roman, and Arabic civilizations, which may have contributed to the development of the name.
One of the earliest known references to the Amato surname can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis," a collection of medieval documents from the Benedictine abbey of Cava dei Tirreni in Campania, dating back to the 11th century. This collection contains records of individuals with the surname Amato, suggesting that the name was in use during that time period.
In the 13th century, historical records mention a prominent figure named Ruggero Amato, who was a notary and judge in the city of Salerno, located in the Campania region of Italy. His name is recorded in various legal documents and official records from that era.
During the Renaissance period, the Amato surname gained further recognition with the birth of Giovanni Battista Amato (1525-1592), a renowned Italian philosopher and physician. He was born in Naples and made significant contributions to the fields of medicine and natural philosophy.
Another notable figure with the Amato surname was Vincenzo Amato (1629-1670), a Baroque painter from Campania who was known for his religious works and frescoes adorning numerous churches throughout Italy.
In the 19th century, the Amato surname gained international recognition with the birth of Pasquale Amato (1878-1942), an Italian operatic tenor who achieved fame for his performances in operas by composers such as Puccini and Verdi. He was particularly renowned for his portrayal of the role of Radamès in Aida.
Throughout history, the Amato surname has been associated with various place names and locations within Italy, such as Amato di Nola, a town in the province of Avellino, Campania, and Amato di Messina, a small town in the province of Messina, Sicily.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Amato
Among Census respondents with the surname Amato, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Amato 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 Amato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 10,749
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 732
- Two or more races2.3% · 276
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 115
- Black or African American0.5% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Amato
Amato 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
#2,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,713
+302 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 4.31
Rank movement Down 161 places
2020
#2,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,942
-771 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 4.00
Rank movement Down 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,676 | 12,411 | 4.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,837 | 12,713 | 4.31 | +302 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 161 places |
| 2020 | #2,951 | 11,942 | 4.00 | -771 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 114 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 Amato 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 | #2,837 | #2,951 | -4.0% |
| Count | 12,713 | 11,942 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.31 | 4.00 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Amato bearers went from 12,713 to 11,942 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,837 to #2,951.
FAQ
Amato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Amato?
Name Census estimates that about 13,694 living Americans carry the surname Amato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,030 residents.
How common is Amato?
Amato ranks #2,951 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,942 people with the surname Amato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,694), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Amato.
Has Amato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Amato went from 12,713 recorded bearers to 11,942. That is a decrease of 771 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,837 to #2,951.
What does the Census say about the background of Amato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Amato, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Amato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (10,749 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Amato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Amato (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 Amato mean?
An Italian surname derived from the past participle of the verb "amare," meaning "beloved" or "loved." 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 Amato (4.00 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 share the surname Amato?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.