2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Contello
A surname with possible Italian origins, perhaps derived from a place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Contello. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Contello 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Contello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Contello, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Contello
The surname Contello is believed to have originated in Italy, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. It is likely derived from the Italian word "conte," meaning "count" or "earl," suggesting that the name may have been associated with nobility or territorial possessions.
One of the earliest known references to the name Contello can be found in historical records from the city of Genoa, where a family bearing this surname was documented in the 13th century. The Contello family was prominent in Genoa and held influential positions within the city's aristocracy.
Another early mention of the Contello name can be traced back to the 14th century in the region of Tuscany. Here, the name was documented in various legal documents and land records, indicating that the Contello family had significant landholdings and estates in the area.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Contello (1420-1489) was a celebrated poet and humanist scholar from the city of Florence. His works, which included poems and philosophical treatises, gained widespread recognition during the Renaissance period.
The Contello surname also appeared in the historic town of Siena, where records from the 16th century mention a prominent family of that name. One member, Luciano Contello (1542-1612), was a respected architect and engineer who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in Siena.
As the surname spread throughout Italy, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Contelli, Contella, and Contello. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciation patterns.
Over the centuries, the Contello name has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, scholars, and members of the clergy. For instance, in the 17th century, a painter named Girolamo Contello (1635-1704) from Venice gained recognition for his religious artwork and frescoes adorning churches in the region.
While the Contello surname has its roots deeply embedded in Italian history, it has since been carried by families across different parts of the world, reflecting the migrations and diasporas of the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Contello
Among Census respondents with the surname Contello, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Contello 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 Contello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Contello
Contello appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+12 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,637 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 10,637 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 Contello 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 | #154,907 | #144,270 | 6.9% |
| Count | 105 | 117 | 11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Contello bearers went from 105 to 117 (+11.4% change). The surname moved up 10,637 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #144,270.
FAQ
Contello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Contello?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Contello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Contello?
Contello ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Contello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Contello.
Has Contello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Contello went from 105 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 12 (+11.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Contello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Contello, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Contello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Contello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (3.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Contello (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 Contello mean?
A surname with possible Italian origins, perhaps derived from a place name or occupation. 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 Contello (0.04 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 Contello?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.