2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Confino
An Italian surname derived from the word "confine" meaning border or frontier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Confino. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Confino 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Confino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Confino, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Confino
The surname Confino has its origins in Italy, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "confine," which means "boundary" or "border." The name is thought to have originated in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas near the borders with other countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Confino can be found in a document from the city of Venice, dated 1389, which mentions a person named Giacomo Confino. This suggests that the name was already established in that region by the late 14th century.
In the 15th century, the name Confino appeared in several historical records from the city of Genoa, where it was associated with families residing near the city's borders or involved in border-related activities, such as guarding or patrolling.
During the Renaissance period, the name Confino gained some prominence in the arts and literature. One notable figure was Girolamo Confino (1451-1520), a renowned poet and scholar from Venice who wrote extensively on classical literature and philosophy.
In the 17th century, the name Confino can be found in records from the Papal States, where a family by that name held lands and properties near the borders of the Papal territories. One notable member was Giovanni Battista Confino (1620-1692), a respected jurist and legal scholar.
As the Confino family spread throughout Italy, they established themselves in various regions, including Tuscany and Lombardy. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the city of Naples, where they became involved in maritime trade and commerce. A prominent figure from this period was Tommaso Confino (1738-1812), a successful merchant and ship owner.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Confino gained recognition in the field of medicine. One notable figure was Dr. Cesare Confino (1826-1902), a renowned physician and researcher from Milan who made significant contributions to the study of infectious diseases.
Throughout its history, the surname Confino has been associated with diverse professions and fields, from the arts and literature to law, commerce, and medicine. While its origins can be traced back to the border regions of northern Italy, the name has since spread and gained prominence across various parts of the country and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Confino
Among Census respondents with the surname Confino, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Confino 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 Confino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 8
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Confino
Confino 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,617 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,530 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,617 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 5,530 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 Confino 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 | #159,712 | #154,182 | 3.5% |
| Count | 101 | 103 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Confino bearers went from 101 to 103 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 5,530 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #154,182.
FAQ
Confino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Confino?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Confino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Confino?
Confino ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Confino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Confino.
Has Confino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Confino went from 101 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Confino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Confino, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Confino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Confino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (7.8%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Confino (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 Confino mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "confine" meaning border or frontier. 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 Confino (0.03 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 Confino?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.