2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Basileo
A surname derived from the Greek word "Basileus," meaning king or ruler.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Basileo. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Basileo 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Basileo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Basileo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Basileo
The surname BASILEO is of Greek origin, believed to have originated in the Byzantine Empire during the medieval period, around the 5th to 15th centuries. It is derived from the Greek word "basileus," meaning "king" or "emperor," suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals who served or had connections to the Byzantine imperial court or nobility.
The earliest recorded instances of the name BASILEO can be traced back to various medieval manuscripts and records from the Byzantine Empire. One notable example is found in the "Codex Basilensis," a 10th-century Greek manuscript containing biblical texts and historical records, where the name appears as a reference to a particular individual.
During the Byzantine era, the name BASILEO was not uncommon among the upper classes and those associated with the imperial court. It is believed that some individuals may have adopted the name as a way to demonstrate their loyalty or connection to the ruling dynasty.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname BASILEO was Konstantinos Basileo, a Byzantine nobleman who lived in the 11th century and served as a military commander during the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118).
Another notable figure was Theodoros Basileo, a Greek scholar and philosopher who lived in the 13th century. He is known for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek texts and his works on Aristotelian philosophy.
In the 14th century, the name BASILEO appears in records related to the island of Crete, which was under Venetian rule at the time. Marco Basileo was a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of Candia (modern-day Heraklion) who played a significant role in the island's economic affairs.
Moving forward to the 15th century, there are records of a certain Georgios Basileo, a Greek cleric and diplomat who served as an ambassador for the Byzantine Empire during the Council of Florence in 1438-1439, a pivotal event that aimed to reunite the Eastern and Western Christian churches.
Lastly, in the 16th century, the name BASILEO is associated with a family of Greek intellectuals and scholars who migrated to Italy after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Demetrios Basileo, born in 1521, was a renowned humanist and professor of Greek literature who taught at various universities in Italy, including the University of Bologna.
Over time, the surname BASILEO spread beyond the Greek-speaking world, with variations and adaptations appearing in other languages and cultures, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that occurred throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Basileo
Among Census respondents with the surname Basileo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Basileo 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 Basileo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 89
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Basileo
Basileo 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-8 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,136 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-11 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,610 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 17,136 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 6,610 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 Basileo 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 | #149,395 | #156,005 | -4.4% |
| Count | 110 | 99 | -10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Basileo bearers went from 110 to 99 (-10.0% change). The surname moved down 6,610 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #156,005.
FAQ
Basileo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Basileo?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Basileo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Basileo?
Basileo ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Basileo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Basileo.
Has Basileo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Basileo went from 110 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 11 (-10.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Basileo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Basileo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Basileo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Basileo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Basileo (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 Basileo mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word "Basileus," meaning king or ruler. 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 Basileo (0.03 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 Basileo?
Find out how many people have the last name Basileo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.