2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Befumo
A surname derived from the Italian phrase "bello fumo" meaning "beautiful smoke".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Befumo. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Befumo 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Befumo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Befumo, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Befumo
The surname BEFUMO has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "fumo," meaning smoke or vapor, possibly indicating an association with occupations related to smoke or fire, such as blacksmiths or charcoal makers. The prefix "be" is a common addition in Italian surnames, often indicating a location or place of origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BEFUMO name can be found in the Florentine archives from the late 1300s, where it appears as "Beffumo." This spelling variation suggests a connection to the Tuscan region, where the name may have originated. Other early spellings include "Befumi" and "Beffumi," further indicating the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era.
In the 15th century, the BEFUMO name appears in various records across central and northern Italy, including the cities of Bologna, Milan, and Venice. During this period, the name was often associated with artisans and tradespeople, reflecting the family's potential occupational roots.
One notable figure bearing the BEFUMO surname was Giacomo BEFUMO, a Renaissance-era architect from Verona who lived from 1458 to 1523. He is known for his work on several churches and palaces in the Veneto region, including the Church of Santa Maria della Scala in Verona.
In the 17th century, a branch of the BEFUMO family migrated to Sicily, where they established themselves in the city of Palermo. One prominent member was Francesco BEFUMO (1610-1682), a lawyer and jurist who served as a magistrate in the Sicilian legal system.
Another significant figure was Giovanni BEFUMO (1738-1806), a philosopher and theologian from Naples who taught at the University of Naples and wrote extensively on moral philosophy and natural law.
During the 19th century, the BEFUMO name spread further throughout Italy, with families settling in regions such as Lombardy, Piedmont, and Calabria. One notable individual from this era was Antonio BEFUMO (1825-1892), a renowned artist and painter from Turin who specialized in landscapes and portraiture.
As the centuries passed, the BEFUMO surname continued to be carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, artists, and professionals, reflecting the name's enduring presence across various regions of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Befumo
Among Census respondents with the surname Befumo, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Befumo 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 Befumo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Befumo
Befumo appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-13 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,614 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 10,614 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 Befumo 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 | #144,141 | #154,755 | -7.4% |
| Count | 115 | 102 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Befumo bearers went from 115 to 102 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 10,614 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #154,755.
FAQ
Befumo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Befumo?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Befumo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Befumo?
Befumo ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Befumo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Befumo.
Has Befumo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Befumo went from 115 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Befumo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Befumo, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Befumo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Befumo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Befumo (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 Befumo mean?
A surname derived from the Italian phrase "bello fumo" meaning "beautiful smoke". 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 Befumo (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 Americans have the surname Befumo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.