2000
#10,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,893
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.07
Rare Last name
Buono
An Italian surname meaning "good," often referring to a person with desirable qualities or moral character.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,222 Americans carry the last name Buono. That puts it at #10,827 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,379 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buono 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 106,379
Census rank
#10,827
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,810 bearers of the surname Buono in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10827th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buono, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buono
The surname Buono originated in Italy, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "buono," meaning "good" or "excellent." This surname is believed to have been initially assigned as a descriptive nickname, likely referring to a person's upstanding character or admirable qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Buono surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico della Lombardia Medievale, a collection of medieval documents from the Lombardy region of northern Italy, dating back to the 11th century. These records mention individuals bearing the surname Buono, indicating its presence in the region during that time period.
In the 13th century, the Buono surname appeared in various historical documents from the city of Genoa, located in the northwestern region of Italy. These references suggest that the surname had spread to other parts of the Italian peninsula by that time.
During the Renaissance period, several notable figures bore the Buono surname. One such individual was Girolamo Buono, a 16th-century Italian painter and architect from Genoa, known for his works in the Mannerist style.
Another prominent bearer of the Buono surname was Pietro Buono, a 17th-century Italian mathematician and astronomer from Naples. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the motion of planets.
In the 18th century, the Buono surname was associated with the town of Buono in the province of Salerno, located in the Campania region of southern Italy. This place name likely originated from the Italian word "buono," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its meaning.
Tommaso Buono, born in 1758 in Naples, was a renowned Italian composer and music teacher during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He composed several operas and sacred works, contributing to the rich musical tradition of his time.
Another notable figure bearing the Buono surname was Giuseppe Buono, an Italian lawyer and politician from Sicily who lived in the 19th century. He played an active role in the Italian Unification movement, advocating for the unification of Italy under the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Throughout its history, the Buono surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scientists, musicians, and political figures, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those bearing this Italian surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buono
Among Census respondents with the surname Buono, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Buono 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 Buono surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 2,541
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 172
- Two or more races2.2% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buono
Buono 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
#10,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,962
+69 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 543 places
2020
#10,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,810
-152 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,226 | 2,893 | 1.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,769 | 2,962 | 1.00 | +69 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 543 places |
| 2020 | #10,827 | 2,810 | 0.94 | -152 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 58 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 Buono 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 | #10,769 | #10,827 | -0.5% |
| Count | 2,962 | 2,810 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.94 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buono bearers went from 2,962 to 2,810 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,769 to #10,827.
FAQ
Buono surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buono?
Name Census estimates that about 3,222 living Americans carry the surname Buono. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,379 residents.
How common is Buono?
Buono ranks #10,827 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,810 people with the surname Buono. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,222), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Buono.
Has Buono become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buono went from 2,962 recorded bearers to 2,810. That is a decrease of 152 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,769 to #10,827.
What does the Census say about the background of Buono?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buono, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Buono in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (2,541 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buono appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Buono (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 Buono mean?
An Italian surname meaning "good," often referring to a person with desirable qualities or moral character. 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 Buono (0.94 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 are called Buono?
See how many people have the last name Buono on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.