Como last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Como

Derived from the Italian place name Como, likely referring to someone who originated from that city or region.

Como, 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 Como surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Como in America

Como is the 12467th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Como surname appeared 2,490 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Como.

We can also compare 2010 data for Como 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 12467 11781 5.66%
Count 2,490 2,435 2.23%
Proportion per 100k 0.84 0.90 -6.90%

The history of the last name Como

The surname Como is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "comis," meaning "friendly" or "courteous." The name may also be linked to the city of Como in northern Italy, which is situated on the shores of Lake Como.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Como can be found in a document from the 13th century, where it appears as "Comitus." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or a descriptive term used to refer to someone with a friendly or affable demeanor.

In the 14th century, the name Como started to gain more prominence, particularly in the region around the city of Como itself. During this time, the spellings "Commo" and "Comó" also emerged, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

One notable figure from this period was Simone Como, a merchant and banker who lived in the city of Como in the late 14th century. His business dealings and influence within the local community may have contributed to the spread and recognition of the surname.

By the 15th century, the name Como had become firmly established in various parts of Italy, particularly in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto. Records from this period show individuals with the surname Como holding positions of authority, such as landowners, magistrates, and members of the clergy.

In the 16th century, the artist Giovanni Paolo Como (1537-1592) gained recognition for his paintings and frescoes, many of which can still be found in churches and buildings throughout Italy. His work is often cited as a significant example of the Renaissance art style.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Como was Domenico Como (1617-1687), a Baroque composer and organist who was born in the city of Como and spent much of his career in Venice, where he contributed to the development of the Venetian polychoral style.

In the 19th century, the Italian writer and philosopher Ippolito Como (1808-1879) gained widespread acclaim for his philosophical works and his contributions to the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification.

Throughout history, the surname Como has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, musicians, writers, and scholars, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Como

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

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 Como was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 85.42% 2,127
Non-Hispanic Black Only 6.47% 161
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.76% 19
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.68% 17
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.81% 45
Hispanic Origin 4.86% 121

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 Como has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 85.42% 86.37% -1.11%
Black 6.47% 6.41% 0.93%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.76% 0.86% -12.35%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.68% 0.70% -2.90%
Two or More Races 1.81% 2.22% -20.35%
Hispanic 4.86% 3.45% 33.94%

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 Como was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Como last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/como-surname-popularity/.

"Como last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/como-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Como last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/como-surname-popularity/.

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