2000
#14,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,884
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Asaro
A surname of Calabrian origin meaning "hard" or "rough".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,073 Americans carry the last name Asaro. That puts it at #15,568 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,342 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Asaro 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
2.1K
1 in 165,342
Census rank
#15,568
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,808 bearers of the surname Asaro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15568th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Asaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Asaro
The surname Asaro is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Sicily. It is thought to have derived from the Greek word "asarōn," which means "floor," referring to a tiled or mosaic floor. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who was involved in the trade or craft of creating mosaic floors or tiling.
The earliest known record of the surname Asaro dates back to the 13th century in Sicily. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Asaru" or "Asariu," reflecting the local Sicilian dialect and pronunciation. It is worth noting that in some cases, the name may have also been derived from a place name or a topographic feature, as was common practice in medieval times.
In the 14th century, the Asaro surname appeared in various historical records and documents related to the island of Sicily. For instance, an individual named Nicolò Asaro was mentioned in a legal document from the city of Palermo, dated 1379.
One notable figure with the surname Asaro was Antonino Asaro, a renowned architect and sculptor from the city of Messina, Sicily, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (c. 1570-1647). Asaro's most celebrated work is the Fountain of Orion, a magnificent sculptural fountain located in Messina's main square, which he created between 1616 and 1624.
In the 18th century, the Asaro family established a prominent presence in the town of Monreale, near Palermo. One famous member of this family was Giuseppe Asaro (1737-1811), a Catholic priest and scholar who authored several works on theology and philosophy.
Another notable individual with the surname Asaro was Vincenzo Asaro (1827-1903), a Sicilian painter and art teacher from the town of Catania. Asaro's works included landscapes, portraits, and religious scenes, and he is considered one of the most important Sicilian artists of the 19th century.
While the surname Asaro has its roots in Sicily, it has since spread to other parts of Italy and beyond, carried by individuals and families who migrated from the island over the centuries. Today, the name can be found in various regions of Italy, as well as in countries with significant Italian diaspora populations, such as the United States, Canada, and Argentina.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Asaro
Among Census respondents with the surname Asaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Asaro 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 Asaro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 1,602
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 105
- Two or more races3.3% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 23
- Black or African American0.9% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Asaro
Asaro 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
#15,615
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,871
-13 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 1,112 places
2020
#15,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,808
-63 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 47 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,503 | 1,884 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,615 | 1,871 | 0.63 | -13 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 1,112 places |
| 2020 | #15,568 | 1,808 | 0.60 | -63 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 47 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 Asaro 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 | #15,615 | #15,568 | 0.3% |
| Count | 1,871 | 1,808 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.60 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Asaro bearers went from 1,871 to 1,808 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 47 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,615 to #15,568.
FAQ
Asaro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Asaro?
Name Census estimates that about 2,073 living Americans carry the surname Asaro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,342 residents.
How common is Asaro?
Asaro ranks #15,568 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,808 people with the surname Asaro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,073), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Asaro.
Has Asaro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Asaro went from 1,871 recorded bearers to 1,808. That is a decrease of 63 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,615 to #15,568.
What does the Census say about the background of Asaro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Asaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Asaro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (1,602 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Asaro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Asaro (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 Asaro mean?
A surname of Calabrian origin meaning "hard" or "rough". 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 Asaro (0.60 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 Asaro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.