Find out how popular the last name Borromeo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Borromeo.

Borromeo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Borromeo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Borromeo in America

Borromeo is the 22838th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Borromeo surname appeared 1,121 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Borromeo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Borromeo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Borromeo

The surname Borromeo is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the 15th century in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. The name is believed to derive from the Latin word "burrus," meaning "red-haired," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have had distinctive red hair.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Borromeo name can be found in historical documents from the town of Arona, located on the western shore of Lake Maggiore. The Borromeo family rose to prominence in this area, establishing themselves as a powerful noble dynasty with significant influence in the region.

In the 16th century, the Borromeo family gained further prominence when Carlo Borromeo (1538-1584) became a prominent figure in the Catholic Church. Born in the town of Arona, Carlo Borromeo was elevated to the position of Archbishop of Milan and later canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church for his efforts in promoting religious reforms during the Counter-Reformation.

Another notable figure bearing the Borromeo name was Vitaliano Borromeo (1620-1671), an Italian nobleman and patron of the arts who commissioned the construction of the Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Bella, one of the Borromean Islands in Lake Maggiore. This magnificent palace, renowned for its elaborate gardens and architectural grandeur, remains a testament to the family's wealth and influence during the 17th century.

In the realm of literature, the Borromeo name is associated with Giovanni Battista Borromeo (1548-1632), an Italian cardinal and patron of the arts who played a significant role in the establishment of the Ambrosian Library in Milan, one of the earliest public libraries in Europe.

The Borromeo family's influence extended beyond Italy as well. In the 16th century, Antonio Borromeo (1539-1599), a member of the prominent Borromeo family, served as the ambassador of the Spanish Crown to the Holy Roman Empire, demonstrating the family's political connections and influence on the international stage.

Throughout history, the Borromeo surname has been associated with noble lineage, religious significance, artistic patronage, and political influence, particularly in the northern Italian region of Lombardy and its surrounding areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Borromeo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Borromeo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Borromeo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Borromeo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Borromeo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Borromeo, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!