2000
#13,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,065
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Dematteo
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who harvested or sold hay, derived from the Italian "matteo," meaning hay.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,209 Americans carry the last name Dematteo. That puts it at #14,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 155,163 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dematteo 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
2.2K
1 in 155,163
Census rank
#14,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,926 bearers of the surname Dematteo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dematteo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dematteo
The surname DeMatteo is of Italian origin, derived from the personal name Matteo, the Italian form of the biblical name Matthew. The name Matthew itself comes from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, which means "gift of God." The prefix "de" in DeMatteo suggests a locational origin, indicating that the surname likely originated from a specific town or region in Italy.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname DeMatteo can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, particularly in the southern regions of Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. Historical records from this period often show variations in spelling, such as De Matteo, De Matteis, and De Mattheis, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the time.
One notable early bearer of the surname was Giovanni DeMatteo, a renowned painter from Naples who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. His works can be found in several churches and museums throughout Italy, including the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples.
Another significant figure was Antonio DeMatteo, a military leader and diplomat who served under the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. He played a crucial role in negotiations between Spain and the Kingdom of Naples, and his exploits are documented in various historical accounts from that era.
During the Renaissance period, the DeMatteo surname gained prominence in the arts and literature. Pietro DeMatteo, a poet and playwright from Venice, was a celebrated figure in the 16th century, known for his contributions to the Italian literary tradition.
In the 18th century, Giuseppe DeMatteo, a composer and musician from Naples, gained recognition for his operas and sacred works, which were performed throughout Europe.
The DeMatteo surname has also been associated with various place names and locations in Italy, such as the town of Matteo in the province of Salerno and the village of Mattei in the province of Isernia. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname DeMatteo who resided or had influence in those areas.
Over the centuries, the DeMatteo surname has been carried by numerous individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields, including the arts, literature, politics, and academia. While the name has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dematteo
Among Census respondents with the surname Dematteo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dematteo 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 Dematteo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 1,782
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 98
- Two or more races1.7% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dematteo
Dematteo 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
#13,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,173
+108 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 390 places
2020
#14,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,926
-247 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 895 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,503 | 2,065 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,893 | 2,173 | 0.74 | +108 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 390 places |
| 2020 | #14,788 | 1,926 | 0.64 | -247 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 895 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 Dematteo 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 | #13,893 | #14,788 | -6.4% |
| Count | 2,173 | 1,926 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.64 | -12.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dematteo bearers went from 2,173 to 1,926 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 895 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,893 to #14,788.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dematteo
FAQ
Dematteo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dematteo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,209 living Americans carry the surname Dematteo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 155,163 residents.
How common is Dematteo?
Dematteo ranks #14,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,926 people with the surname Dematteo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,209), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Dematteo.
Has Dematteo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dematteo went from 2,173 recorded bearers to 1,926. That is a decrease of 247 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,893 to #14,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Dematteo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dematteo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Dematteo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (1,782 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dematteo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Dematteo (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 Dematteo mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who harvested or sold hay, derived from the Italian "matteo," meaning hay. 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 Dematteo (0.64 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 are called Dematteo?
See how many people have the surname Dematteo on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.