2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bolino
Of Italian origin, a toponymic surname derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Bolino. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bolino 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Bolino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolino, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bolino
The surname BOLINO originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Veneto and Lombardy, during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "bulla," meaning a seal or stamp, suggesting a connection to an occupation or trade involving seals or official documents.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BOLINO can be found in the 13th-century Venetian records, where a certain Bartolomeo Bolino was mentioned as a notary public. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
In the 14th century, the BOLINO family gained prominence in the city of Verona, where they were involved in the silk trade. A notable member was Marco Bolino (1325-1391), a successful merchant who established trade routes with the Byzantine Empire and the Levant.
During the Renaissance, the BOLINO name appeared in various artistic and literary works. Pietro Bolino (1460-1524), a Venetian painter, was commissioned by the Doge of Venice to create frescoes in the Palazzo Ducale. Additionally, a poet named Giulio Bolino (1488-1563) was celebrated for his sonnets and odes.
In the 17th century, the BOLINO family expanded their influence to the nearby city of Vicenza, where they were involved in the construction of several notable buildings, including the Palazzo Bolino, which still stands today. Francesco Bolino (1612-1688), an architect, designed several churches and palaces in the region.
Another prominent figure bearing the BOLINO surname was Antonio Bolino (1745-1812), a lawyer and political theorist who played a significant role in the Italian Enlightenment. His writings on legal reform and human rights were widely influential during the Napoleonic era.
Throughout history, the BOLINO name has been associated with various professions, including law, commerce, art, and architecture, reflecting the diverse contributions of this Italian family to the cultural and economic fabric of their homeland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bolino
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolino, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bolino 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 Bolino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 8
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bolino
Bolino 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-19 bearers (-14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,813 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,852 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.6%) | Down 25,813 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 1,852 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 Bolino 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 | #148,347 | #146,495 | 1.2% |
| Count | 111 | 114 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bolino bearers went from 111 to 114 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 1,852 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #146,495.
FAQ
Bolino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bolino?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Bolino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Bolino?
Bolino ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Bolino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Bolino.
Has Bolino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bolino went from 111 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Bolino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolino, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bolino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bolino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bolino (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 Bolino mean?
Of Italian origin, a toponymic surname derived from a place name. 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 Bolino (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 have the last name Bolino?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Bolino at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.