2000
#21,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,157
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Argento
A surname of Italian origin meaning "silver" or "money".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,085 Americans carry the last name Argento. That puts it at #27,055 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 315,903 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Argento 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
1.1K
1 in 315,903
Census rank
#27,055
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
946
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 946 bearers of the surname Argento in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27055th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Argento, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Argento
The surname Argento originated in Italy, derived from the Italian word "argento," meaning silver. The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages, possibly indicating an association with silver mining or trade.
The earliest known records of the Argento surname can be traced back to the 13th century in regions such as Tuscany and Lombardy. It's believed that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to individuals involved in the silver industry or those with a silvery complexion or hair color.
In the 14th century, the Argento family held notable positions in the city of Florence. Historical documents mention an Argento family member serving as a magistrate in the Florentine Republic during this period.
The name Argento also appears in various Italian manuscripts and records from the Renaissance era. One notable figure was Pietro Argento, a renowned Venetian painter born in 1492, known for his Renaissance-style portraits and religious works.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Argento surname spread across Italy, with branches establishing themselves in cities like Naples, Rome, and Milan. In 1675, a wealthy merchant named Marco Argento commissioned the construction of a grand palazzo in Venice, which still stands today as a testament to the family's influence.
In the 19th century, the Argento name gained further prominence with the birth of Dario Argento (1940-present), an acclaimed Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror and giallo genres, including influential films like "Suspiria" and "Inferno."
Other notable individuals with the Argento surname include:
1. Francesca Argento (born 1975), an Italian actress and screenwriter, daughter of Dario Argento.
2. Asia Argento (born 1975), an Italian actress, singer, model, and filmmaker, also the daughter of Dario Argento.
3. Roberto Argento (born 1957), an Italian classical composer and conductor.
4. Vittorio Argento (1945-2022), an Italian businessman and entrepreneur in the fashion industry.
While the Argento surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread worldwide, particularly to countries with significant Italian immigration, such as the United States, Canada, and Argentina.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Argento
Among Census respondents with the surname Argento, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Argento 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 Argento surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 850
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 68
- Two or more races2.1% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 6
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Argento
Argento 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
#21,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,221
+64 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Down 271 places
2020
#27,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 946
-275 bearers (-22.5%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 5,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,142 | 1,157 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,413 | 1,221 | 0.41 | +64 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 271 places |
| 2020 | #27,055 | 946 | 0.32 | -275 bearers (-22.5%) | Down 5,642 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 Argento 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 | #21,413 | #27,055 | -26.3% |
| Count | 1,221 | 946 | -22.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.41 | 0.32 | -22.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Argento bearers went from 1,221 to 946 (-22.5% change). The surname moved down 5,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,413 to #27,055.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Argento
FAQ
Argento surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Argento?
Name Census estimates that about 1,085 living Americans carry the surname Argento. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 315,903 residents.
How common is Argento?
Argento ranks #27,055 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 946 people with the surname Argento. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,085), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Argento.
Has Argento become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Argento went from 1,221 recorded bearers to 946. That is a decrease of 275 (-22.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,413 to #27,055.
What does the Census say about the background of Argento?
Among Census respondents with the surname Argento, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Argento in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (850 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Argento appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (7.2%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Argento (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 Argento mean?
A surname of Italian origin meaning "silver" or "money". 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 Argento (0.32 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 Argento?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.