2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Averso
An Italian surname likely derived from the word "averso" meaning adverse or hostile.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Averso. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Averso 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Averso in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Averso, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Averso
The surname Averso is of Italian origin, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 13th century in the central and southern regions of Italy. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "aversus," which means "turned away" or "averted." This could suggest that the name may have originally been used as a nickname for someone who was perceived as aloof or distant.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Averso can be found in records from the city of Naples in the late 13th century. These records mention a family with the name Averso residing in the city during this time period. The name also appears in various other historical documents from the regions of Campania and Calabria, indicating its prevalence in those areas.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Battista Averso (1455-1525) gained recognition as a renowned philosopher and humanist scholar. He was born in the town of Aversa, which some historians speculate may have influenced the spelling of his surname. Aversa is a town located in the province of Caserta, near Naples, and its name is derived from the Latin word "aversus," further strengthening the connection between the surname and its potential origins.
Another prominent individual with the surname Averso was Pietro Averso (1560-1638), a Neapolitan painter and architect who was active during the Renaissance period. His works, including several churches and palaces in Naples, are still celebrated for their artistic and architectural merits.
In the 18th century, a family with the surname Averso held significant land and property in the region of Calabria. Records from that time mention a nobleman named Carlo Averso (1725-1798), who was a prominent landowner and influential figure in the local community.
Moving into the 19th century, a notable figure was Giuseppe Averso (1819-1895), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament during the early years of the unified Kingdom of Italy.
While the surname Averso is primarily associated with Italy, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to Italian emigration. However, the historical records and references mentioned above highlight the name's deep roots in the central and southern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Naples and Calabria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Averso
Among Census respondents with the surname Averso, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Averso 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 Averso surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Averso
Averso 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,364 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,931 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,364 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 1,931 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 Averso 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 | #146,201 | #144,270 | 1.3% |
| Count | 113 | 117 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Averso bearers went from 113 to 117 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 1,931 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #144,270.
FAQ
Averso surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Averso?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Averso. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Averso?
Averso ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Averso. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Averso.
Has Averso become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Averso went from 113 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 4 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Averso?
Among Census respondents with the surname Averso, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Averso in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Averso appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Averso (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 Averso mean?
An Italian surname likely derived from the word "averso" meaning adverse or hostile. 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 Averso (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 Americans have the surname Averso?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.