2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bocco
Italian surname potentially derived from "bucco" meaning a hole or cavity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Bocco. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bocco 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Bocco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bocco, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bocco
The surname Bocco has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "bocca," meaning "mouth" or "opening." This could potentially refer to someone who lived near a specific geographical feature, such as a pass or valley opening.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bocco name can be found in the historic records of the town of Bocco, located in the province of Biella in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. This town likely served as the original source for the surname.
During the 14th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Bocco was mentioned in a manuscript detailing the local nobility of the region. Unfortunately, specific dates of birth and death are not available for this individual.
In the 16th century, a scholar and philosopher named Battista Bocco gained recognition for his works on Renaissance humanism. He was born in the city of Turin in 1521 and died in 1597.
Another prominent individual bearing the Bocco surname was Domenico Bocco, a renowned painter from the 17th century. He was born in the town of Asti, also in the Piedmont region, in 1612 and passed away in 1678. Bocco's paintings can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.
During the 18th century, a military leader named Carlo Bocco played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in the town of Novara in 1765 and died in 1832. Bocco served as a general in Napoleon's army and was involved in several notable battles.
In the 19th century, a prominent Italian politician named Giuseppe Bocco made his mark. Born in the city of Milan in 1822, he served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in the unification movement of Italy. Bocco passed away in 1896.
While the Bocco surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and historical events. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era in the Piedmont region, where it was closely associated with specific towns and localities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bocco
Among Census respondents with the surname Bocco, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bocco 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 Bocco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.9% · 79
- Black or African American18.6% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bocco
Bocco 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,304 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,080 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,304 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,080 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 Bocco 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 | #147,221 | -2.1% |
| Count | 115 | 113 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bocco bearers went from 115 to 113 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,080 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #147,221.
FAQ
Bocco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bocco?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Bocco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Bocco?
Bocco ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Bocco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Bocco.
Has Bocco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bocco went from 115 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Bocco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bocco, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Bocco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.9% (79 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bocco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.9%), Black (18.6%), Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Bocco (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 Bocco mean?
Italian surname potentially derived from "bucco" meaning a hole or cavity. 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 Bocco (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 share the surname Bocco?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.