2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cantamessa
A surname of Italian origin meaning "one who sang Mass".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Cantamessa. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cantamessa 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Cantamessa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantamessa, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cantamessa
The surname Cantamessa originated in Italy during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Latin words "cantare" meaning "to sing" and "messa" meaning "mass," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who sang at church services. The earliest recorded instances of the name come from regions around northern Italy, including Piedmont, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Cantamessa name was Giovanni Cantamessa, a priest who lived in the 14th century in the town of Asti, Piedmont. Records show that he was known for his beautiful singing voice and often led the congregation in hymns during mass.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various documents and records from the city of Milan. One notable individual was Antonio Cantamessa, a merchant and landowner who was involved in local politics and held positions on the city council.
As the name spread throughout Italy, it took on various spellings and regional variations, such as Cantamesa, Cantamesse, and Cantamessi. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the area around Genoa, where they became prominent in the maritime trade.
One of the most famous bearers of the Cantamessa name was Girolamo Cantamessa, a renowned architect born in Genoa in 1523. He designed several notable buildings in the city, including the Chiesa di San Giorgio and the Palazzo Reale.
Another notable individual was Vincenzo Cantamessa, born in 1624 in Parma, who was a celebrated painter and fresco artist. His works can be found in churches and palaces throughout northern Italy, and he is particularly known for his stunning ceiling frescoes.
In the 18th century, the Cantamessa family produced a distinguished military leader, Carlo Cantamessa, who was born in 1712 in Turin. He rose through the ranks of the Piedmontese army and played a crucial role in several campaigns during the War of the Austrian Succession.
As the name spread beyond Italy, it found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. However, the rich history and origins of the Cantamessa surname remain deeply rooted in the cultural and artistic traditions of northern Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cantamessa
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantamessa, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cantamessa 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 Cantamessa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cantamessa
Cantamessa 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,544 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 5,544 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 6,182 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 Cantamessa 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 | #150,452 | #144,270 | 4.1% |
| Count | 109 | 117 | 7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cantamessa bearers went from 109 to 117 (+7.3% change). The surname moved up 6,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #144,270.
FAQ
Cantamessa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cantamessa?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Cantamessa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Cantamessa?
Cantamessa ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Cantamessa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Cantamessa.
Has Cantamessa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cantamessa went from 109 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 8 (+7.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Cantamessa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cantamessa, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (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 Cantamessa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cantamessa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (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 Cantamessa (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 Cantamessa mean?
A surname of Italian origin meaning "one who sang Mass". 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 Cantamessa (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 have the surname Cantamessa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.