2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Belletto
An occupational surname of Italian origin referring to a maker of bells.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Belletto. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Belletto 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Belletto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Belletto, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Belletto
The surname BELLETTO is of Italian origin, originating in the northern regions of the country during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "bello," meaning "beautiful" or "handsome," suggesting that it may have been a descriptive nickname initially given to someone with an attractive appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BELLETTO name can be found in the historical records of the city of Venice, where a merchant named Giovanni Belletto is mentioned in a trade document dated 1378. This indicates that the name was already established in the Venetian area by the late 14th century.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the BELLETTO surname was Antonio Belletto, a renowned sculptor and architect who worked in various cities across northern Italy, including Milan and Verona. Born in 1426 in the town of Treviso, Belletto left behind several impressive works of art and architectural designs that still stand today.
Another historical reference to the BELLETTO name comes from the 16th century, when a scholar named Girolamo Belletto authored a treatise on the art of rhetoric and public speaking. This work, published in 1567 in Venice, provides insight into the intellectual pursuits of individuals with this surname during the Renaissance period.
Shifting to the 17th century, a prominent figure named Lucrezia Belletto gained recognition as a skilled lacemaker in the city of Burano, near Venice. Her intricate and delicate lace creations were highly sought after by the nobility of the time and helped establish Burano as a center for lacemaking.
Moving forward to the 18th century, the BELLETTO name found its way into the world of music through the accomplished violinist and composer, Francesco Belletto. Born in 1744 in the city of Padua, Belletto composed several concertos and chamber works that were performed throughout Europe during his lifetime.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse accomplishments associated with the BELLETTO surname, which has its roots in the Italian regions and can be traced back to the late medieval and Renaissance periods. Throughout the centuries, individuals bearing this name have left their mark in various fields, from art and architecture to literature, craftsmanship, and music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Belletto
Among Census respondents with the surname Belletto, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Belletto 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 Belletto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Belletto
Belletto 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,521 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+11 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,744 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 5,521 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 8,744 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 Belletto 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 | #151,532 | #142,788 | 5.8% |
| Count | 108 | 119 | 10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Belletto bearers went from 108 to 119 (+10.2% change). The surname moved up 8,744 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #142,788.
FAQ
Belletto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Belletto?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Belletto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Belletto?
Belletto ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Belletto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Belletto.
Has Belletto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Belletto went from 108 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 11 (+10.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Belletto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Belletto, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Belletto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Belletto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (4.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Belletto (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 Belletto mean?
An occupational surname of Italian origin referring to a maker of bells. 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 Belletto (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 common is the surname Belletto?
You can see how many people have the last name Belletto on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.