2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bombardo
Italian occupational surname referring to a cannon maker or gunner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Bombardo. 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 Bombardo 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 Bombardo 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 Bombardo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bombardo
The surname Bombardo is of Italian origin, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Tuscany and Lombardy, where it was likely derived from the Italian word "bombarda," referring to a type of early cannon or firearm used during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Bombardo can be traced back to historical documents from the late 1300s and early 1400s in various Italian cities. One notable example is a record from 1412 in the city of Siena, where a man named Giovanni Bombardo is mentioned as a cannon maker.
During the Renaissance period, the Bombardo name gained prominence, particularly in the field of artillery and warfare. In the 15th century, a famous Italian military engineer named Francesco Bombardo was responsible for designing and constructing fortifications and defensive structures for several Italian cities, including Milan and Genoa.
The Bombardo surname is also linked to several place names in Italy, such as the town of Bombardo in the province of Novara, Piedmont. This town likely took its name from a family or individual with the surname Bombardo who lived there or had a significant presence in the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bombardo name outside of Italy can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a landowner named Ranulph Bombardo, who held estates in the county of Staffordshire, England.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Bombardo surname. These include:
1. Pietro Bombardo (1487-1556), an Italian architect and military engineer who designed fortifications in Venice and other parts of Italy.
2. Girolamo Bombardo (1542-1614), an Italian poet and writer from Padua.
3. Sebastiano Bombardo (1635-1719), an Italian painter from Bologna known for his religious works and portraits.
4. Antonio Bombardo (1798-1872), an Italian composer and music teacher from Genoa.
5. Luigi Bombardo (1876-1952), an Italian sculptor and artist from Milan, known for his public monuments and statues.
While the Bombardo surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has evolved into various spellings and variations, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bombardo
Among Census respondents with the surname Bombardo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bombardo 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 Bombardo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bombardo
Bombardo 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-7 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,156 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+14 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,480 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 18,156 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 14,480 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 Bombardo 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 | #160,975 | #146,495 | 9.0% |
| Count | 100 | 114 | 14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bombardo bearers went from 100 to 114 (+14.0% change). The surname moved up 14,480 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #146,495.
FAQ
Bombardo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bombardo?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Bombardo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Bombardo?
Bombardo 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 Bombardo. 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 Bombardo.
Has Bombardo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bombardo went from 100 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 14 (+14.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Bombardo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bombardo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Bombardo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bombardo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Bombardo (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 Bombardo mean?
Italian occupational surname referring to a cannon maker or gunner. 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 Bombardo (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 surname Bombardo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.