Find out how popular the last name Belasco is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Belasco.

Belasco, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Belasco surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belasco in America

Belasco is the 31033rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belasco surname appeared 748 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Belasco.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belasco to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Belasco

The surname Belasco has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to be a derivative of the Italian personal name "Biagio," which itself has roots in the Greek name "Blasios." The name Belasco likely emerged as a patronymic, meaning "son of Biagio."

In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared as "Belaschi" or "Belaschio" in medieval Italian documents. These variations suggest the name may have originated in regions where the local dialects favored these spellings, such as parts of Tuscany or Umbria.

One of the earliest known references to the name Belasco can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Siena, where a certain "Giovanni Belaschi" is mentioned. This record suggests that the name was already in use by that time in the Tuscan region.

As the name spread across Italy over the centuries, various spellings emerged, including "Belasca," "Belascio," and "Belasco." The latter spelling became more prevalent, particularly in southern Italian regions like Campania and Calabria.

Among the notable historical figures bearing this surname was Francesco Belasco, a 16th-century Italian painter born in Naples (1522-1594). His works are still preserved in various churches and galleries across southern Italy.

Another prominent individual was Girolamo Belasco (1540-1618), a Neapolitan cleric who served as the Archbishop of Capua and played a significant role in the Catholic Reformation in the region.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Belasco family settled in Sicily, where they became influential landowners and merchants. One member, Vincenzo Belasco (1632-1701), was a respected jurist and served as a magistrate in the city of Palermo.

The 18th century saw the rise of the playwright and impresario David Belasco (1853-1931), born in San Francisco to a family of Italian descent. He became a prominent figure in American theater and is credited with introducing innovations in stage lighting and set design.

In more recent times, the name Belasco has also been associated with the American actor and director Lonny Belasco (1935-2022), who had a prolific career in television and film spanning over six decades.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belasco

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Belasco.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Belasco was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Belasco has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Belasco was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Belasco, please contact us.

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