2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Callisto
Derived from the name of the Greek mythological nymph Callisto.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Callisto. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Callisto 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Callisto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Callisto, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Callisto
The surname Callisto is of Greek origin, derived from the name of the nymph Callisto in Greek mythology. This mythological figure was a huntress and follower of the goddess Artemis. The name Callisto means "most beautiful" or "she that is most beautiful" in Greek.
The earliest known use of the surname Callisto dates back to the late 15th century in parts of Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Veneto. It is believed that the name was adopted by families who traced their ancestry back to ancient Greek settlers in these areas.
In the 16th century, the surname Callisto appeared in various historical records and manuscripts in Italy, including birth and marriage records in the cities of Florence and Venice. Some notable individuals bearing the name during this period were Pietro Callisto (1470-1542), a Venetian scholar and writer, and Giulio Callisto (1492-1555), an Italian Renaissance painter from Treviso.
By the 17th century, the surname had spread to other parts of Europe, including France and Spain. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name outside of Italy was Juan Callisto (1580-1649), a Spanish artist and engraver who worked in Madrid.
In the 18th century, the Callisto surname was also found in England, likely brought over by Italian immigrants. One notable figure from this era was John Callisto (1732-1808), an English architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London.
Other notable individuals with the surname Callisto throughout history include:
1. Antonio Callisto (1653-1711), an Italian composer and violinist from Venice.
2. Mariana Callisto (1782-1849), a Spanish painter known for her portraits and religious works.
3. Émile Callisto (1823-1889), a French mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
4. Luisa Callisto (1867-1942), an Italian opera singer and soprano who performed in major opera houses across Europe.
5. Enrico Callisto (1907-1985), an Italian sculptor and artist known for his modernist works and public monuments.
While the surname Callisto is not as common today as it was in the past, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage and history of various European countries, particularly Italy, where it originated from the ancient Greek myth of the beautiful nymph Callisto.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Callisto
Among Census respondents with the surname Callisto, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Callisto 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 Callisto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino12.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Callisto
Callisto 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+9 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 840 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-7 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,103 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 840 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 9,103 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 Callisto 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 | #132,206 | #141,309 | -6.9% |
| Count | 128 | 121 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Callisto bearers went from 128 to 121 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 9,103 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #141,309.
FAQ
Callisto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Callisto?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Callisto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Callisto?
Callisto ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Callisto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Callisto.
Has Callisto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Callisto went from 128 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Callisto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Callisto, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Callisto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Callisto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Hispanic (12.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Callisto (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 Callisto mean?
Derived from the name of the Greek mythological nymph Callisto. 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 Callisto (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 are called Callisto?
Want to know how common the surname Callisto is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.