2000
#12,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,220
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Defalco
Derived from the Italian surname "De Falco," meaning "of the hawk" or "descendant of the falcon."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,365 Americans carry the last name Defalco. That puts it at #13,999 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,928 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Defalco 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
2.4K
1 in 144,928
Census rank
#13,999
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,062 bearers of the surname Defalco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13999th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Defalco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Defalco
The surname DeFalco has its origins in Italy, likely stemming from the Latin words "de" meaning "from" and "falco" meaning "falcon". This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname or as a reference to a place of origin associated with falcons.
The earliest known records of the DeFalco name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, such as Sicily, Calabria, and Campania. During this period, the name was often spelled with variations like "de Falcone" or "de Falconi", reflecting the evolving nature of surnames at the time.
In the 14th century, the DeFalco name appeared in historical documents from the town of Martina Franca in the Apulia region of southern Italy. One notable individual bearing this surname was Giovanni DeFalco, a prominent merchant and landowner recorded in municipal records from the late 1300s.
As the DeFalco family expanded across Italy, they left their mark in various regions. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the city of Naples, where they became influential members of the local nobility. One notable figure from this era was Giulio DeFalco (1508-1580), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as an advisor to the Spanish viceroy of Naples.
The DeFalco surname also found its way to other parts of Europe, as evidenced by the Dutch artist Pieter DeFalco (1640-1705), who was born in Amsterdam but likely had Italian ancestry. His paintings, which often depicted scenes of everyday life, can be found in museums across Europe.
In the 18th century, the DeFalco name gained prominence in the world of music. Giovanni Battista DeFalco (1742-1808), a talented composer and violinist from Naples, was celebrated for his operas and instrumental works, which were performed throughout Italy and parts of Europe.
As Italian emigrants began to settle in different parts of the world, the DeFalco surname traveled with them. One notable figure from this era was Vincenzo DeFalco (1822-1892), an Italian-born civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Panama Canal while working for the French company overseeing the project.
These examples, spanning several centuries and regions, illustrate the rich history and diverse contributions of individuals bearing the DeFalco surname, which has its roots firmly planted in the Italian peninsula and a connection to the symbolic falcon.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Defalco
Among Census respondents with the surname Defalco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Defalco 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 Defalco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 1,856
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 134
- Two or more races2.2% · 45
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Defalco
Defalco 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
#12,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,417
+197 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 9 places
2020
#13,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,062
-355 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 1,233 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,757 | 2,220 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,766 | 2,417 | 0.82 | +197 bearers (+8.9%) | Down 9 places |
| 2020 | #13,999 | 2,062 | 0.69 | -355 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 1,233 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 Defalco 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 | #12,766 | #13,999 | -9.7% |
| Count | 2,417 | 2,062 | -14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.69 | -15.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Defalco bearers went from 2,417 to 2,062 (-14.7% change). The surname moved down 1,233 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,766 to #13,999.
FAQ
Defalco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Defalco?
Name Census estimates that about 2,365 living Americans carry the surname Defalco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,928 residents.
How common is Defalco?
Defalco ranks #13,999 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,062 people with the surname Defalco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,365), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Defalco.
Has Defalco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Defalco went from 2,417 recorded bearers to 2,062. That is a decrease of 355 (-14.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,766 to #13,999.
What does the Census say about the background of Defalco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Defalco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Defalco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,856 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Defalco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (6.5%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Defalco (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 Defalco mean?
Derived from the Italian surname "De Falco," meaning "of the hawk" or "descendant of the falcon." 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 Defalco (0.69 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 Defalco?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.