2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cristofano
An Italian surname referring to a follower or bearer of Christ.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Cristofano. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cristofano 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Cristofano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cristofano, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cristofano
The surname Cristofano is of Italian origin, deriving from the given name Cristoforo, which is the Italian equivalent of the name Christopher, meaning "Christ-bearer." The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the late medieval period in various regions of Italy, particularly in Tuscany and surrounding areas.
The name Cristofano likely emerged as a patronymic surname, indicating a direct line of descent from an ancestor named Cristoforo. It was common practice in medieval Italy for individuals to adopt surnames based on their father's or an esteemed ancestor's given name.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Cristofano can be found in the Libro di Montaperti, a historical document from the 13th century that chronicles the events surrounding the Battle of Montaperti in 1260. The document lists several individuals bearing the surname Cristofano, suggesting that the name was already well-established in Tuscany by that time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Cristofano di Gano Cristofani (c. 1325 - c. 1400) was a Florentine merchant and banker who played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs. His surname, Cristofani, is a variant of Cristofano, further solidifying the name's presence in Renaissance-era Tuscany.
Another prominent individual with the surname Cristofano was Cristofano dell'Altissimo (c. 1525 - 1605), a renowned Italian painter and fresco artist from Florence. His works can be found in various churches and public buildings throughout Tuscany, showcasing the artistic talent associated with this surname.
In the 16th century, a Venetian nobleman named Cristofano Barbarigo (1504 - 1568) gained recognition for his diplomatic and military exploits. He served as a captain-general of the Venetian Republic's naval forces and played a crucial role in defending the city against the Ottoman Empire's naval attacks.
The surname Cristofano also found its way into the annals of literature through the work of Cristofano Allori (1577 - 1621), an Italian painter and poet from Florence. Allori was a prominent figure in the Florentine art scene during the late Renaissance period and was known for his portraiture and religious paintings.
While the name Cristofano has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval and Renaissance periods in Italy, where it was borne by notable individuals in various fields, from commerce and art to warfare and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cristofano
Among Census respondents with the surname Cristofano, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cristofano 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 Cristofano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 7
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cristofano
Cristofano 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
#118,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
+40 bearers (+37.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 24,634 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-27 bearers (-18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,864 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,185 | 147 | 0.05 | +40 bearers (+37.4%) | Up 24,634 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-18.4%) | Down 23,864 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 Cristofano 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 | #118,185 | #142,049 | -20.2% |
| Count | 147 | 120 | -18.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cristofano bearers went from 147 to 120 (-18.4% change). The surname moved down 23,864 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,185 to #142,049.
FAQ
Cristofano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cristofano?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Cristofano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Cristofano?
Cristofano ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Cristofano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Cristofano.
Has Cristofano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cristofano went from 147 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 27 (-18.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,185 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Cristofano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cristofano, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Cristofano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cristofano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Cristofano (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 Cristofano mean?
An Italian surname referring to a follower or bearer of Christ. 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 Cristofano (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 Cristofano?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.