2000
#12,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,172
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Degennaro
An Italian occupational surname referring to a baker or bread maker, derived from the Latin word "januarius."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,455 Americans carry the last name Degennaro. That puts it at #13,564 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,615 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Degennaro 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
2.5K
1 in 139,615
Census rank
#13,564
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,141 bearers of the surname Degennaro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13564th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Degennaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Degennaro
The surname DEGENNARO originates from Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the town of Gennaro, located in the southern region of Campania. The prefix "de" suggests that the original bearers of the name were from this specific location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Campania region. In the year 1214, a certain "Petrus de Gennaro" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction.
The name DEGENNARO is believed to have originated from the Latin word "Januarius," which is related to the Roman god Janus, who was depicted with two faces – one looking towards the past and the other towards the future. This connection suggests that the name may have been associated with the month of January or with the concept of new beginnings.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the surname DEGENNARO was Marco de Gennaro, a renowned artist from Naples who lived between 1490 and 1565. His works, including frescoes and altarpieces, can still be found in various churches throughout the region.
In the 17th century, the name DEGENNARO appeared in the records of the Kingdom of Naples, with mentions of several members of the nobility. One such individual was Girolamo de Gennaro, a baron who played a role in the revolt against Spanish rule in Naples in the 1640s.
Another prominent figure with the surname DEGENNARO was Tommaso de Gennaro, a composer and organist who lived from 1645 to 1714. He was highly regarded for his sacred music compositions and served as the organist at the Basilica of San Pietro ad Aram in Naples.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe de Gennaro, born in 1828, was a renowned lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament. He was also involved in the Italian unification movement and advocated for the rights of the people of Naples.
Overall, the surname DEGENNARO has a rich history rooted in the regions of southern Italy, particularly Campania and Naples. Its origins can be traced back to medieval times, and it has been associated with various notable figures throughout the centuries, from artists and composers to nobles and politicians.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Degennaro
Among Census respondents with the surname Degennaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Degennaro 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 Degennaro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,948
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 107
- Two or more races2.2% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 23
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Degennaro
Degennaro 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
#13,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,281
+109 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 407 places
2020
#13,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,141
-140 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 204 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,953 | 2,172 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,360 | 2,281 | 0.77 | +109 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 407 places |
| 2020 | #13,564 | 2,141 | 0.72 | -140 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 204 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 Degennaro 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 | #13,360 | #13,564 | -1.5% |
| Count | 2,281 | 2,141 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.72 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Degennaro bearers went from 2,281 to 2,141 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 204 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,360 to #13,564.
FAQ
Degennaro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Degennaro?
Name Census estimates that about 2,455 living Americans carry the surname Degennaro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,615 residents.
How common is Degennaro?
Degennaro ranks #13,564 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,141 people with the surname Degennaro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,455), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Degennaro.
Has Degennaro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Degennaro went from 2,281 recorded bearers to 2,141. That is a decrease of 140 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,360 to #13,564.
What does the Census say about the background of Degennaro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Degennaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) 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 Degennaro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,948 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Degennaro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (5.0%), 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 Degennaro (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 Degennaro mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a baker or bread maker, derived from the Latin word "januarius." 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 Degennaro (0.72 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 last name Degennaro?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Degennaro on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.