2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Demao
A surname potentially derived from a Chinese place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Demao. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demao 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Demao in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demao, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demao
The surname DEMAO has its origins in Italy, emerging during the medieval period. Specifically, it traces its roots to the region of Tuscany, where it was derived from the Italian words "de" and "mao," which together translate to "from the hand." This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon an ancestor who possessed a distinctive physical characteristic related to their hand or was known for their exceptional skill with their hands, perhaps in a trade or craft.
Historical records indicate that the name DEMAO first appeared in written form in the 13th century, with mentions found in various local documents and manuscripts from the city of Florence. One notable early reference is found in the Florentine Codex of 1274, which chronicles the lives of prominent citizens and their families.
The earliest recorded bearer of the name DEMAO was Guido DEMAO, a skilled artisan who lived in Florence during the late 13th century. His son, Pietro DEMAO, was a respected lawyer and diplomat who served in the court of the Medici family in the 15th century.
Over the centuries, the DEMAO surname has been associated with several notable individuals. In the 16th century, Lucrezia DEMAO was a renowned painter whose works adorned the walls of various churches and palaces throughout Tuscany. Her contemporary, Alessandro DEMAO, was a celebrated architect responsible for the design of several iconic buildings in Florence, including the Palazzo Vecchio.
During the Renaissance period, the DEMAO family produced several influential scholars and philosophers. One such figure was Niccolò DEMAO (1478-1551), a humanist and author whose writings on ethics and political theory were widely studied throughout Europe.
In more recent history, the DEMAO name has continued to be represented by accomplished individuals. Giovanni DEMAO (1865-1934) was a renowned composer and conductor who helped popularize Italian opera internationally during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the DEMAO surname has its roots in Italy, over time it has spread to various parts of the world, including other European countries and the Americas, carried by families who emigrated from their ancestral homeland. However, the name remains most prevalent in its region of origin, particularly in the areas surrounding Florence and other parts of Tuscany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demao
Among Census respondents with the surname Demao, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Demao 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 Demao surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demao
Demao 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,114 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-9 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,437 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 6,114 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 9,437 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 Demao 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 | #139,228 | #148,665 | -6.8% |
| Count | 120 | 111 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demao bearers went from 120 to 111 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 9,437 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #148,665.
FAQ
Demao surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demao?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Demao. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Demao?
Demao ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Demao. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Demao.
Has Demao become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demao went from 120 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Demao?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demao, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Demao in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demao appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Demao (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 Demao mean?
A surname potentially derived from a Chinese place name or occupation. 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 Demao (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 people share the surname Demao?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.