2000
#18,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,420
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.53
Rare Last name
Camilo
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin name Camillus, meaning "altar server" or "noble servant."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,186 Americans carry the last name Camilo. That puts it at #10,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,581 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Camilo 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 107,581
Census rank
#10,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,778 bearers of the surname Camilo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Camilo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.2%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Camilo
The surname Camilo originated in Italy and has its roots in the Latin language. It is believed to have been derived from the Roman personal name Camillus, which is thought to be an Etruscan word meaning "attendant" or "servant." This name was particularly popular in ancient Rome and was borne by several notable figures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Camilo can be found in the writings of the ancient Roman historian Livy, who mentioned a Roman statesman and military leader named Marcus Furius Camillus (circa 446 BC - 365 BC). Camillus is credited with saving Rome from the Gauls in 390 BC and is considered one of the earliest and most significant figures in Roman history to bear this name.
During the Middle Ages, the name Camilo gained wider usage and spread across various regions of Italy. It is believed to have been particularly prevalent in the regions of Tuscany, Lazio, and Campania. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in medieval Italian documents and records, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Amiatinus from the 9th century.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Camilo. One notable example is the Italian Renaissance poet and playwright Giovanni Battista Camilo (1541 - 1607), who was known for his works on literary theory and his contributions to the development of dramatic literature in Italy.
Another prominent figure was the Italian philosopher and mathematician Camillo Golgi (1843 - 1926), who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906 for his groundbreaking work on the structure of the nervous system.
In the field of art, the Italian painter and sculptor Giuseppe Camilo Torreggiani (1675 - 1738) gained recognition for his works in various churches and palaces across Italy and Europe.
The name Camilo has also been associated with political and military figures, such as the Italian revolutionary and statesman Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour (1810 - 1861), who played a pivotal role in the unification of Italy in the 19th century.
Additionally, the Brazilian writer and abolitionist Camilo Castelo Branco (1825 - 1890) is celebrated for his contributions to Portuguese literature and his efforts towards the abolition of slavery in Brazil.
While the surname Camilo has its origins in Italy, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in regions with historical ties to Italy or the Roman Empire. Nevertheless, its roots can be traced back to ancient Rome and the Latin language, making it a name with a rich and fascinating history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Camilo
Among Census respondents with the surname Camilo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.2%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Camilo 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 Camilo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino85.2% · 2,366
- White10.9% · 302
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 49
- Black or African American1.6% · 45
- Two or more races0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Camilo
Camilo 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
#12,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,396
+976 bearers (+68.7%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 5,251 places
2020
#10,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,778
+382 bearers (+15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 1,896 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,101 | 1,420 | 0.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,850 | 2,396 | 0.81 | +976 bearers (+68.7%) | Up 5,251 places |
| 2020 | #10,954 | 2,778 | 0.93 | +382 bearers (+15.9%) | Up 1,896 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 Camilo 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 | #12,850 | #10,954 | 14.8% |
| Count | 2,396 | 2,778 | 15.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.93 | 14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Camilo bearers went from 2,396 to 2,778 (+15.9% change). The surname moved up 1,896 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,850 to #10,954.
FAQ
Camilo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Camilo?
Name Census estimates that about 3,186 living Americans carry the surname Camilo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,581 residents.
How common is Camilo?
Camilo ranks #10,954 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 2,778 people with the surname Camilo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,186), 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 Camilo.
Has Camilo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Camilo went from 2,396 recorded bearers to 2,778. That is an increase of 382 (+15.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,850 to #10,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Camilo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Camilo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 85.2%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Camilo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (2,366 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Camilo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (85.2%), White (10.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Camilo (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 Camilo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin name Camillus, meaning "altar server" or "noble servant." 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 Camilo (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 have the last name Camilo?
Want to know how many people have the last name Camilo? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.