2000
#21,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.41
Rare Last name
Cordaro
A surname of Italian origin meaning 'rope maker' or 'cord maker'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,436 Americans carry the last name Cordaro. That puts it at #21,302 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 238,687 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cordaro 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
1.4K
1 in 238,687
Census rank
#21,302
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,252 bearers of the surname Cordaro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21302nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cordaro
The surname Cordaro is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the Mediterranean region during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "cordatus," which means "having a good heart" or "courageous." This surname likely originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who exhibited bravery or a kind-hearted nature.
The earliest known record of the Cordaro name dates back to the 13th century, found in historical documents from the city of Naples. It is believed that the name first emerged in this region and later spread to other parts of Italy, such as Sicily and Calabria. During the Renaissance, the name was also found in various manuscripts and records from cities like Florence and Rome.
One notable historical figure bearing the Cordaro surname was Filippo Cordaro, a prominent Italian painter from the 16th century. Born in Messina, Sicily, in 1538, Cordaro was renowned for his religious paintings and frescoes adorning churches throughout Italy. His masterpiece, "The Adoration of the Magi," can still be admired in the Cathedral of Messina.
Another individual of historical significance was Antonio Cordaro, a renowned Italian architect and engineer who lived in the late 17th century. Born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1655, Cordaro was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of San Domenico in Palermo and the Royal Palace of Caserta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the 18th century, the Cordaro name gained prominence with the birth of Giuseppe Cordaro, an influential Italian philosopher and writer. Born in Naples in 1718, Cordaro's works on ethics and morality were widely read and praised during the Enlightenment period. His seminal work, "Discourses on Human Nature," published in 1756, remains a cornerstone of Italian philosophical literature.
Another notable figure was Vincenzo Cordaro, a Sicilian patriot and revolutionary who played a pivotal role in the movement for Italian unification in the 19th century. Born in Palermo in 1821, Cordaro was a fervent supporter of Giuseppe Garibaldi and participated in the Expedition of the Thousand, a crucial campaign that led to the unification of Italy in 1861.
Throughout its history, the Cordaro surname has been associated with various place names and localities, particularly in southern Italy. For instance, the town of Cordaro in the province of Catania, Sicily, is believed to have derived its name from the Cordaro family, who may have been prominent landowners or residents in the area during the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cordaro
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cordaro 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 Cordaro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 1,126
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 84
- Two or more races1.7% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 13
- Black or African American0.6% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cordaro
Cordaro 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
#21,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,202
+100 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Up 275 places
2020
#21,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,252
+50 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Up 370 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,947 | 1,102 | 0.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,672 | 1,202 | 0.41 | +100 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 275 places |
| 2020 | #21,302 | 1,252 | 0.42 | +50 bearers (+4.2%) | Up 370 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 Cordaro 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 | #21,672 | #21,302 | 1.7% |
| Count | 1,202 | 1,252 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.41 | 0.42 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cordaro bearers went from 1,202 to 1,252 (+4.2% change). The surname moved up 370 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,672 to #21,302.
FAQ
Cordaro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cordaro?
Name Census estimates that about 1,436 living Americans carry the surname Cordaro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 238,687 residents.
How common is Cordaro?
Cordaro ranks #21,302 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.42 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 1,252 people with the surname Cordaro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,436), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.42 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 Cordaro.
Has Cordaro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cordaro went from 1,202 recorded bearers to 1,252. That is an increase of 50 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,672 to #21,302.
What does the Census say about the background of Cordaro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Cordaro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (1,126 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cordaro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (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 Cordaro (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 Cordaro mean?
A surname of Italian origin meaning 'rope maker' or 'cord maker'. 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 Cordaro (0.42 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 Cordaro?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.