2000
#60,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 313
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Bacilio
Of Spanish origin, an occupational surname for someone who grew basil or made basil preparations.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 631 Americans carry the last name Bacilio. That puts it at #42,463 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 543,192 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bacilio 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
631
1 in 543,192
Census rank
#42,463
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
550
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 550 bearers of the surname Bacilio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 42463rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacilio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bacilio
The surname BACILIO has its origins in Italy, where it first appeared in the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "bacillum," which means "small staff" or "rod." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who carried a staff or worked with rods, such as a shepherd or a craftsman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BACILIO surname can be found in a tax record from the city of Naples, dated 1497. In this document, a certain Girolamo BACILIO is listed as a landowner in the region. Another early reference is found in a birth record from the town of Caserta in 1523, where a child named Pietro BACILIO is mentioned.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the BACILIO name spread throughout various parts of Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania, Lazio, and Calabria. Some notable individuals bearing this surname from this period include Vincenzo BACILIO (1572-1649), a renowned painter from Naples, and Giulio BACILIO (1605-1671), a philosopher and theologian from Rome.
As the centuries passed, the BACILIO surname continued to be represented across Italy, with some members of the family achieving prominence in various fields. One such example is Giuseppe BACILIO (1789-1863), a prominent lawyer and politician from Calabria, who served as a member of the Italian Parliament in the mid-19th century.
Another notable figure bearing the BACILIO name was Arturo BACILIO (1872-1938), a celebrated Italian opera singer who performed in some of the world's most prestigious venues, including La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the BACILIO surname was Enrico BACILIO (1923-2005), an acclaimed Italian author and journalist who wrote extensively on social and political issues. His works, including the novel "La Città dei Gatti" (The City of Cats), earned him numerous literary awards and critical acclaim.
While the BACILIO surname is not among the most common in Italy today, it has a rich history spanning several centuries, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various areas, from the arts and literature to law and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bacilio
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacilio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bacilio 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 Bacilio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.4% · 530
- White1.6% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 5
- Black or African American0.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
- Two or more races0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bacilio
Bacilio 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
#37,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 586
+273 bearers (+87.2%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 22,331 places
2020
#42,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 550
-36 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 4,564 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #60,230 | 313 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #37,899 | 586 | 0.20 | +273 bearers (+87.2%) | Up 22,331 places |
| 2020 | #42,463 | 550 | 0.18 | -36 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 4,564 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 Bacilio 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 | #37,899 | #42,463 | -12.0% |
| Count | 586 | 550 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.18 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bacilio bearers went from 586 to 550 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 4,564 positions in the national ranking, going from #37,899 to #42,463.
FAQ
Bacilio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bacilio?
Name Census estimates that about 631 living Americans carry the surname Bacilio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 543,192 residents.
How common is Bacilio?
Bacilio ranks #42,463 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 550 people with the surname Bacilio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (631), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Bacilio.
Has Bacilio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bacilio went from 586 recorded bearers to 550. That is a decrease of 36 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #37,899 to #42,463.
What does the Census say about the background of Bacilio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bacilio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bacilio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (530 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bacilio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.4%), White (1.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Bacilio (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 Bacilio mean?
Of Spanish origin, an occupational surname for someone who grew basil or made basil preparations. 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 Bacilio (0.18 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 are called Bacilio?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Bacilio at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.