2000
#9,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,023
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Cardillo
An Italian occupational surname referring to a wool carder or someone who disentangles and prepares wool for spinning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,093 Americans carry the last name Cardillo. That puts it at #11,213 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,816 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cardillo 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
3.1K
1 in 110,816
Census rank
#11,213
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,697 bearers of the surname Cardillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11213th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardillo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cardillo
The surname Cardillo has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is derived from the Italian word "cardillo," which means "goldfinch," a type of small bird known for its vibrant yellow and red plumage. The name likely originated as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone with a bright, lively personality or perhaps with reddish or yellowish hair.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Cardillo can be traced back to the 13th century in Sicily. In 1285, a document from the city of Palermo mentions a certain "Guglielmo Cardillo," indicating that the name was already in use during that time period. Additionally, in the 14th century, the name appears in various notarial records and land registry documents from the towns of Messina and Reggio Calabria.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Cardillo was Tommaso Cardillo, a Sicilian nobleman and military commander who lived in the late 15th century. He played a significant role in the Wars of the Sicilian Vespers, fighting against the French occupation of Sicily on behalf of the Aragonese Crown.
In the 16th century, the name Cardillo can be found in the records of the Spanish Inquisition in Sicily. Several individuals with this surname were accused of religious offenses or heresy during the Inquisition's operations on the island.
The surname Cardillo has also been linked to various place names in Italy. For instance, there is a small village called Cardillo in the province of Palermo, which may have contributed to the name's geographic spread and variations in spelling, such as "Cardilli" or "Cardigli."
Among the notable individuals with the surname Cardillo throughout history are:
1. Vincenzo Cardillo (1541-1619), an Italian painter and architect from Messina, known for his works in churches and palaces across Sicily.
2. Giuseppe Cardillo (1791-1862), an Italian composer and music teacher from Naples, who wrote operas and sacred music compositions.
3. Antonio Cardillo (1856-1936), an Italian politician and lawyer from Reggio Calabria, who served as a deputy in the Italian Parliament.
4. Raffaele Cardillo (1885-1962), an Italian sculptor and artist from Naples, known for his bronze and marble statues and busts.
5. Luciano Cardillo (born 1936), an Italian actor and film director, best known for his roles in the commedia all'italiana genre of Italian cinema.
While the surname Cardillo has its roots in southern Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, carried by migration and diaspora over the centuries. The name continues to hold a connection to its Italian heritage and the rich cultural traditions of the regions where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cardillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardillo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cardillo 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 Cardillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 2,482
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 141
- Two or more races1.7% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cardillo
Cardillo 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
#10,620
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,015
-8 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 757 places
2020
#11,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,697
-318 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 593 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,863 | 3,023 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,620 | 3,015 | 1.02 | -8 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 757 places |
| 2020 | #11,213 | 2,697 | 0.90 | -318 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 593 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 Cardillo 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 | #10,620 | #11,213 | -5.6% |
| Count | 3,015 | 2,697 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.90 | -11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cardillo bearers went from 3,015 to 2,697 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 593 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,620 to #11,213.
FAQ
Cardillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cardillo?
Name Census estimates that about 3,093 living Americans carry the surname Cardillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,816 residents.
How common is Cardillo?
Cardillo ranks #11,213 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 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 2,697 people with the surname Cardillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,093), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 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 Cardillo.
Has Cardillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cardillo went from 3,015 recorded bearers to 2,697. That is a decrease of 318 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,620 to #11,213.
What does the Census say about the background of Cardillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cardillo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) 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 Cardillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,482 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cardillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (5.2%), 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 Cardillo (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 Cardillo mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a wool carder or someone who disentangles and prepares wool for spinning. 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 Cardillo (0.90 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 share the surname Cardillo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.