2000
#15,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,784
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Bonifacio
An Italian surname derived from the Latin name Bonifacius, meaning "good fate" or "well-doer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,182 Americans carry the last name Bonifacio. That puts it at #10,964 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,717 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bonifacio 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
3.2K
1 in 107,717
Census rank
#10,964
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,775 bearers of the surname Bonifacio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10964th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonifacio, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 44.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.9%) and White (11.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bonifacio
The surname Bonifacio has its roots in the Latin language, derived from the words "bonus" meaning good and "facio" meaning to make or do. It is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period, possibly as a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who was considered a good or virtuous person.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bonifacio can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of medieval legal documents from the Lombard Kingdom in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. The name was also mentioned in various church records and historical chronicles throughout the Middle Ages.
The surname Bonifacio has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Bonifacio Bembo, a Venetian statesman and diplomat who lived in the 15th century (born around 1420, died in 1481). Another was Bonifacio Veronese, an Italian painter and sculptor from the 16th century (born around 1487, died in 1553).
In the 17th century, Bonifacio Calvo was a Spanish theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of scholastic philosophy (born in 1611, died in 1691). During the same period, Bonifacio Asioli was an Italian composer and music theorist (born in 1769, died in 1832).
Moving into the 19th century, Bonifacio Byrne was an Irish poet and writer who was born in 1861 and died in 1936. He was known for his works that celebrated Irish culture and heritage.
While the surname Bonifacio has its origins in Italy, it has spread to various parts of the world over the centuries. It can be found in Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America, where it may have evolved into variations such as Bonifacio or Bonifaz. The name has also been present in other European countries, including France, where it may have been influenced by the French spelling "Boniface."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bonifacio
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonifacio, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 44.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.9%) and White (11.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bonifacio 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 Bonifacio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander44.4% · 1,231
- Hispanic or Latino40.9% · 1,136
- White11.5% · 319
- Two or more races2.6% · 73
- Black or African American0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bonifacio
Bonifacio 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
#12,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,457
+673 bearers (+37.7%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 2,570 places
2020
#10,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,775
+318 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 1,633 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,167 | 1,784 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,597 | 2,457 | 0.83 | +673 bearers (+37.7%) | Up 2,570 places |
| 2020 | #10,964 | 2,775 | 0.93 | +318 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 1,633 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 Bonifacio 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 | #12,597 | #10,964 | 13.0% |
| Count | 2,457 | 2,775 | 12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.93 | 11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bonifacio bearers went from 2,457 to 2,775 (+12.9% change). The surname moved up 1,633 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,597 to #10,964.
FAQ
Bonifacio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bonifacio?
Name Census estimates that about 3,182 living Americans carry the surname Bonifacio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,717 residents.
How common is Bonifacio?
Bonifacio ranks #10,964 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,775 people with the surname Bonifacio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bonifacio.
Has Bonifacio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bonifacio went from 2,457 recorded bearers to 2,775. That is an increase of 318 (+12.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,597 to #10,964.
What does the Census say about the background of Bonifacio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonifacio, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 44.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (40.9%) and White (11.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bonifacio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.4% (1,231 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bonifacio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (44.4%), Hispanic (40.9%), White (11.5%). 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 Bonifacio (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 Bonifacio mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin name Bonifacius, meaning "good fate" or "well-doer." 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 Bonifacio (0.93 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 Bonifacio?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.