2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Decorso
An Italian surname derived from the phrase "di corso," meaning of or from the course.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Decorso. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Decorso 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Decorso in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Decorso, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Decorso
The surname DeCorso originated in Italy, with records dating back to the 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "corso," meaning "course" or "path," and the prefix "de," meaning "from" or "of." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a path or road.
The earliest known record of the name DeCorso can be found in a Venetian manuscript from the year 1382, where a certain Giovanni DeCorso is mentioned as a merchant and landowner in the region. Another notable early reference is in the Florentine archives of 1427, where a Matteo DeCorso is listed as a respected member of the local guild of weavers.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Niccolò DeCorso, a renowned painter from Verona who lived between 1510 and 1588. His works can still be admired in various churches and galleries across northern Italy.
In the 16th century, the name DeCorso appeared in various forms, such as DeCorsio and DeCorsi, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. During this period, the name was also associated with several noble families in the regions of Tuscany and Lombardy.
A notable figure was Alessandro DeCorso (1554-1629), a historian and scholar from Milan who authored several influential works on the history of the city and its surrounding areas.
In the 17th century, the DeCorso family gained prominence in the Republic of Venice, with several members serving as ambassadors and diplomats. One such individual was Giacomo DeCorso (1642-1718), who represented the Venetian interests in various European courts.
Another important figure was Maria DeCorso (1685-1755), a renowned opera singer from Naples who performed in some of the most prestigious theaters across Europe during the Baroque era.
As the surname spread beyond Italy, it also appeared in different variations, such as DeCoursey and DeCourcy, reflecting the influences of other languages and cultures. For instance, in England, there was a noble family with the name DeCourcy, which traced its roots back to the Norman conquest in the 11th century.
Despite its Italian origins, the surname DeCorso has been embraced by individuals from various backgrounds and nationalities, contributing to the rich tapestry of global diversity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Decorso
Among Census respondents with the surname Decorso, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Decorso 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 Decorso surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.1% · 102
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Decorso
Decorso 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,758 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,758 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 179 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 Decorso 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 | #153,769 | #153,590 | 0.1% |
| Count | 106 | 104 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Decorso bearers went from 106 to 104 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #153,590.
FAQ
Decorso surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Decorso?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Decorso. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Decorso?
Decorso ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Decorso. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Decorso.
Has Decorso become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Decorso went from 106 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Decorso?
Among Census respondents with the surname Decorso, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Decorso in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Decorso appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.1%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Decorso (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 Decorso mean?
An Italian surname derived from the phrase "di corso," meaning of or from the course. 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 Decorso (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 common is the surname Decorso?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Decorso is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.