2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Basilicato
A surname derived from the southern Italian region of Basilicata.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Basilicato. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Basilicato 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Basilicato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Basilicato, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Basilicato
The surname Basilicata originates from the region of Basilicata in southern Italy. This area was known as Lucania in ancient times, and the name is derived from the Greek word "basilikos," meaning "kingly" or "royal." The region's name likely refers to its fertile lands and abundance of natural resources.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 12th century. In 1189, a document from the town of Matera mentions a nobleman named Ruggero Basilicata. This suggests that the name was already associated with the region and potentially held by nobility at that time.
During the 13th century, the Basilicata surname appears in various municipal records throughout southern Italy. For instance, a Pietro Basilicata is documented as a landowner in the town of Potenza in 1248. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its original geographic origin.
In the 14th century, the Basilicata name gained prominence when a member of the family, Giacomo Basilicata (1315-1379), became a prominent scholar and philosopher. He taught at the University of Naples and wrote several influential works on logic and metaphysics.
Another notable figure with the Basilicata surname was Girolamo Basilicata (1492-1556), a Renaissance artist from the city of Matera. He is known for his intricate frescoes and paintings in churches throughout Basilicata and neighboring regions.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Basilicata surname continued to be associated with various professions and social classes. For example, records from the town of Melfi in 1602 mention a merchant named Antonio Basilicata, while a document from Venosa in 1675 references a farmer named Domenico Basilicata.
In more recent centuries, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Basilicata surname. One example is Nicola Basilicata (1819-1884), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament. Another is Vincenzo Basilicata (1892-1967), a painter and sculptor from the town of Potenza, known for his works depicting rural life in Basilicata.
While the Basilicata surname originated in the southern Italian region, it has since spread to other parts of Italy and beyond due to migration and diaspora. However, its roots remain deeply tied to the historical and cultural heritage of the Basilicata region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Basilicato
Among Census respondents with the surname Basilicato, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Basilicato 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 Basilicato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6% · 5
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Basilicato
Basilicato 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
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,164 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,004 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 12,164 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,004 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 Basilicato 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 | #150,205 | -2.7% |
| Count | 113 | 109 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Basilicato bearers went from 113 to 109 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,004 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #150,205.
FAQ
Basilicato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Basilicato?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Basilicato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Basilicato?
Basilicato ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Basilicato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Basilicato.
Has Basilicato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Basilicato went from 113 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Basilicato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Basilicato, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%). 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 Basilicato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Basilicato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Hispanic (5.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%). 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 Basilicato (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 Basilicato mean?
A surname derived from the southern Italian region of Basilicata. 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 Basilicato (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 people are called Basilicato?
You can see how common the surname Basilicato is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.