Find out how popular the last name Cerulo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cerulo.

Cerulo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cerulo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cerulo in America

Cerulo is the 145220th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cerulo surname appeared 114 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cerulo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cerulo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cerulo

The surname CERULO originated in Italy, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "caeruleus," meaning "blue" or "sky-colored." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with blue eyes or a particular affinity for the color blue.

The earliest recorded instances of the CERULO name can be traced back to the regions of Campania and Basilicata in southern Italy. Variations in spelling, such as Cerullo and Cerulla, were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions during that time period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the CERULO name was Giovanni Cerulo, a renowned composer and musician who lived in Naples during the late 16th century (c. 1551-1597). His contributions to the development of Renaissance music were significant, and he is often credited with helping to establish the Neapolitan school of composition.

Another notable figure with the CERULO surname was Domenico Cerulo (1617-1676), an Italian painter and architect from Naples. He was known for his religious works and contributions to the Baroque style of architecture, particularly his work on the Church of San Gregorio Armeno in Naples.

In the 18th century, Francesco Cerulo (1710-1782) was a prominent Italian lawyer and jurist from Campania. He served as a magistrate in Naples and was instrumental in shaping the legal system of the Kingdom of Naples during his lifetime.

Moving into the 19th century, Giuseppe Cerulo (1824-1901) was an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament. He was a staunch advocate for the unification of Italy and played a role in the Risorgimento movement.

Lastly, Vincenzo Cerulo (1884-1962) was an Italian-American industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Cerulo Shipping Company in New York City. His business played a significant role in facilitating trade between Italy and the United States in the early 20th century.

While the CERULO name has its roots in southern Italy, it has since spread to other regions and countries due to emigration. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above provide insights into the rich heritage and origins of this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cerulo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cerulo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cerulo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cerulo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cerulo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cerulo, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!