2000
#4,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,533
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.79
Uncommon Last name
Casanova
An occupational surname referring to a person from Casanova, Italy or to a person dwelling in a "new house."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,771 Americans carry the last name Casanova. That puts it at #3,681 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Casanova 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
11K
1 in 31,822
Census rank
#3,681
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.4K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,393 bearers of the surname Casanova in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3681st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Casanova, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Casanova
The surname Casanova originated in Italy, specifically in the Veneto region, during the Middle Ages. It is believed to derive from the Italian word "casa nova," which means "new house" or "newly built house." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a newly constructed dwelling or who was involved in the construction of new houses.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Casanova surname can be found in the Venetian archives from the 14th century. In these records, the name appears as "Casanova" and "Casanove," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time period.
The name Casanova is also associated with the infamous 18th-century Venetian adventurer and author, Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798). Casanova's memoirs, known as the "Histoire de ma vie" (Story of My Life), provide a vivid account of his romantic escapades and adventures across Europe. His name has become synonymous with the notion of a charming and seductive individual.
Another notable figure with the Casanova surname was the Italian composer and violinist, Francesco Casanova (1727-1803). He was a contemporary of Giacomo Casanova and is best known for his operas and instrumental works.
In the 19th century, the Casanova surname gained prominence in the United States, particularly among Italian immigrants. One notable American with this surname was Frank Casanova (1890-1920), a professional baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Another individual with the Casanova surname was the Italian-American sculptor, Carlo Casanova (1899-1970). He is renowned for his public monuments and sculptures, including the iconic "Spirit of Life" sculpture located in Kansas City, Missouri.
Throughout history, variations of the Casanova surname have also been recorded, such as Casanove, Casanovi, and Casanovy. These variations reflect the influence of regional dialects and linguistic changes over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Casanova
Among Census respondents with the surname Casanova, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Casanova 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 Casanova surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino74.5% · 6,994
- White20.2% · 1,896
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 251
- Black or African American1.5% · 140
- Two or more races0.9% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Casanova
Casanova 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
#3,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,201
+1,668 bearers (+22.1%)
Per 100,000 3.12
Rank movement Up 504 places
2020
#3,681
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,393
+192 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 3.14
Rank movement Up 170 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,355 | 7,533 | 2.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,851 | 9,201 | 3.12 | +1,668 bearers (+22.1%) | Up 504 places |
| 2020 | #3,681 | 9,393 | 3.14 | +192 bearers (+2.1%) | Up 170 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 Casanova 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 | #3,851 | #3,681 | 4.4% |
| Count | 9,201 | 9,393 | 2.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.12 | 3.14 | 0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Casanova bearers went from 9,201 to 9,393 (+2.1% change). The surname moved up 170 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,851 to #3,681.
FAQ
Casanova surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Casanova?
Name Census estimates that about 10,771 living Americans carry the surname Casanova. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,822 residents.
How common is Casanova?
Casanova ranks #3,681 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,393 people with the surname Casanova. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,771), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Casanova.
Has Casanova become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Casanova went from 9,201 recorded bearers to 9,393. That is an increase of 192 (+2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,851 to #3,681.
What does the Census say about the background of Casanova?
Among Census respondents with the surname Casanova, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Casanova in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.5% (6,994 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Casanova appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (74.5%), White (20.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Casanova (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 Casanova mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person from Casanova, Italy or to a person dwelling in a "new house." 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 Casanova (3.14 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 Casanova?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.