2000
#50,468
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 389
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Cerminara
Surname referring to someone from the Italian town of Cermenara.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 479 Americans carry the last name Cerminara. That puts it at #53,424 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 715,562 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cerminara 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
479
1 in 715,562
Census rank
#53,424
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
418
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 418 bearers of the surname Cerminara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53424th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerminara, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cerminara
The surname Cerminara originates from Italy, specifically the region of Campania. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "cermino," which means "a type of wheat."
One of the earliest documented references to the surname Cerminara can be found in the records of the Duchy of Naples, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention a family bearing the name Cerminara, who were landowners and farmers in the region.
In the 16th century, the Cerminara family was mentioned in a historical document describing the Battle of Lepanto, where one of their members, Antonio Cerminara, fought alongside the Venetian forces against the Ottoman Empire in 1571.
The name Cerminara is closely associated with the town of Gragnano, located in the province of Naples. This town was renowned for its production of high-quality pasta, and the Cerminara family played a significant role in this industry during the 16th and 17th centuries.
One notable individual with the surname Cerminara was Gennaro Cerminara, born in 1768 in Gragnano. He was a renowned pasta maker and is credited with introducing the "Gragnano" technique of drying pasta, which became widely adopted throughout the region.
In the 19th century, the name Cerminara gained further prominence with the birth of Giuseppe Cerminara in 1845. He was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian parliament during the early years of the unified Kingdom of Italy.
Another noteworthy figure was Maria Cerminara, born in 1887 in Naples. She was a renowned author and journalist, known for her works on Italian culture and traditions. Her book "Napoli e il Golfo Incantato" (Naples and the Enchanted Gulf) published in 1930, is considered a literary masterpiece.
In the 20th century, the name Cerminara continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Vincenzo Cerminara, born in 1914. He was a renowned sculptor and artist, whose works are exhibited in various museums and galleries across Italy.
The surname Cerminara, with its rich history and association with the regions of Campania and Naples, reflects the agricultural and cultural heritage of southern Italy. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval era, and it has produced individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cerminara
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerminara, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cerminara 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 Cerminara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 389
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 17
- Two or more races2.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cerminara
Cerminara 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
#50,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 409
+20 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 492 places
2020
#53,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 418
+9 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,468 | 389 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #50,960 | 409 | 0.14 | +20 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 492 places |
| 2020 | #53,424 | 418 | 0.14 | +9 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 2,464 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 Cerminara 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 | #50,960 | #53,424 | -4.8% |
| Count | 409 | 418 | 2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.14 | -0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cerminara bearers went from 409 to 418 (+2.2% change). The surname moved down 2,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,960 to #53,424.
FAQ
Cerminara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cerminara?
Name Census estimates that about 479 living Americans carry the surname Cerminara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 715,562 residents.
How common is Cerminara?
Cerminara ranks #53,424 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 418 people with the surname Cerminara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Cerminara.
Has Cerminara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cerminara went from 409 recorded bearers to 418. That is an increase of 9 (+2.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #50,960 to #53,424.
What does the Census say about the background of Cerminara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cerminara, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Cerminara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (389 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cerminara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Cerminara (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 Cerminara mean?
Surname referring to someone from the Italian town of Cermenara. 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 Cerminara (0.14 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 Cerminara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.