2000
#27,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 807
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Very Rare Last name
Cerino
An Italian surname potentially derived from cera, meaning "wax" or "candle."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 930 Americans carry the last name Cerino. That puts it at #30,753 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 368,553 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cerino 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
930
1 in 368,553
Census rank
#30,753
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
811
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 811 bearers of the surname Cerino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30753rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerino, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cerino
The surname Cerino originates from Italy and is believed to have emerged during the Renaissance period, around the 15th or 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Italian word "cerino," which means "wax candle" or "taper." The name likely referred to an ancestor's occupation as a candlemaker or someone involved in the production or trade of wax candles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cerino can be found in a collection of legal documents from the city of Genoa, dated back to the late 15th century. These documents mention a certain Giovanni Cerino, a merchant involved in the export of wax candles to other parts of Europe.
In the 16th century, the name also appeared in records from the city of Naples, where a family of candlemakers bore the surname Cerino. One notable member was Girolamo Cerino (1551-1624), a skilled artisan known for creating intricate wax sculptures and decorative candles for churches and noble households.
As the name spread across Italy, it took on various regional spellings, such as Cerini and Cerino. In the 17th century, a branch of the family migrated to Sicily, where they established a successful candle-making business. One of the most prominent figures from this Sicilian lineage was Antonio Cerino (1682-1749), a respected candlemaker whose artisanal creations were sought after by the local nobility and clergy.
In the 18th century, the name Cerino gained recognition beyond Italy's borders. Records from the Vatican archives mention a Florentine artist named Lorenzo Cerino (1712-1789), who was commissioned to create elaborate wax sculptures for the Papal court.
Another notable figure was the Italian philosopher and writer Giacomo Cerino (1784-1856), whose works explored the symbolism and cultural significance of candles and light in various religions and traditions.
As the centuries passed, the Cerino surname spread further across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by emigrants and their descendants. While the name may have lost its direct connection to the candlemaking trade over time, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and artisanal traditions of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cerino
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerino, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cerino 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 Cerino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.7% · 533
- Hispanic or Latino27.0% · 219
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 20
- Two or more races2.5% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 16
- Black or African American0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cerino
Cerino 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
#29,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 808
+1 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 1,309 places
2020
#30,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 811
+3 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 1,474 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,970 | 807 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,279 | 808 | 0.27 | +1 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 1,309 places |
| 2020 | #30,753 | 811 | 0.27 | +3 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 1,474 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 Cerino 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 | #29,279 | #30,753 | -5.0% |
| Count | 808 | 811 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cerino bearers went from 808 to 811 (+0.4% change). The surname moved down 1,474 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,279 to #30,753.
FAQ
Cerino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cerino?
Name Census estimates that about 930 living Americans carry the surname Cerino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 368,553 residents.
How common is Cerino?
Cerino ranks #30,753 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 811 people with the surname Cerino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (930), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Cerino.
Has Cerino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cerino went from 808 recorded bearers to 811. That is an increase of 3 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #29,279 to #30,753.
What does the Census say about the background of Cerino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerino, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Cerino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.7% (533 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cerino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.7%), Hispanic (27.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Cerino (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 Cerino mean?
An Italian surname potentially derived from cera, meaning "wax" or "candle." 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 Cerino (0.27 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 Americans have the surname Cerino?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.