2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Amisano
An Italian surname derived from a contraction of the phrase "l'amicissimo" meaning "the best friend."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Amisano. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Amisano 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.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Amisano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Amisano, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Amisano
The surname "AMISANO" has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the northern region of Piedmont during the late medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Italian word "amis," meaning friend or companion, combined with the suffix "-ano," indicating place of origin or residence. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near the house or estate of a friend or companion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "AMISANO" can be found in the archives of the city of Asti, Piedmont, dating back to the 14th century. Here, a certain Pietro Amisano is mentioned as a landowner and respected citizen. The name is also documented in various municipal records and legal documents from neighboring towns and villages throughout the 15th and 16th centuries.
During the Renaissance period, the name "AMISANO" gained prominence in the city of Turin, where several members of the family served as merchants, bankers, and minor nobility. Notable figures from this era include Giovanni Battista Amisano (1560-1628), a successful silk trader, and his son, Francesco Amisano (1592-1672), who served as a magistrate and advisor to the Duke of Savoy.
In the 18th century, the "AMISANO" name spread further across Piedmont and into neighboring regions, such as Liguria and Lombardy. One prominent individual from this time was Tommaso Amisano (1715-1790), a renowned architect and engineer who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and public buildings in Turin and its surroundings.
As the name traveled beyond its place of origin, various spelling variations emerged, including "AMISANI," "AMISANO," and "AMISSANO." These variations can be found in historical records from different parts of Italy, reflecting regional dialects and local customs.
Another notable figure bearing the surname "AMISANO" was Giuseppe Amisano (1805-1879), a politician and statesman from Piedmont who played a significant role in the Italian unification movement during the Risorgimento. He served as a deputy in the Sardinian Parliament and later became a senator in the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.
Throughout the centuries, the "AMISANO" surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, scholars, and military personnel, contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of Italy and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Amisano
Among Census respondents with the surname Amisano, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Amisano 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 Amisano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Amisano
Amisano appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 5,305 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 Amisano 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 | #144,141 | #149,446 | -3.7% |
| Count | 115 | 110 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Amisano bearers went from 115 to 110 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 5,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #149,446.
FAQ
Amisano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Amisano?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Amisano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Amisano?
Amisano ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Amisano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Amisano.
Has Amisano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Amisano went from 115 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Amisano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Amisano, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Amisano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Amisano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Amisano (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 Amisano mean?
An Italian surname derived from a contraction of the phrase "l'amicissimo" meaning "the best friend." 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 Amisano (0.04 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 Amisano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.