2000
#11,737
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,444
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Demeo
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who worked with cattle or in a slaughterhouse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,537 Americans carry the last name Demeo. That puts it at #13,229 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demeo 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 135,102
Census rank
#13,229
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,212 bearers of the surname Demeo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13229th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demeo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demeo
The surname DEMEO has its origins in Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of the country, particularly around Naples and the Campania region. The name is a variant of the Italian surname "De Meo," which is derived from a place name or a personal name.
One possible origin of the name is from the Latin phrase "de meo," meaning "of mine" or "belonging to me." This phrase was commonly used in medieval times to identify individuals by their place of origin or association with a particular location or estate. Another theory suggests that the name may have derived from a personal name, such as "Meo," which itself could have been a diminutive form of other Italian names like Matteo or Emilio.
The earliest recorded instances of the DEMEO surname can be found in historical documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries in southern Italy. One notable example is the mention of a "Guglielmo de Meo" in a land registry from the city of Salerno, dated around 1280.
Throughout history, several individuals with the DEMEO surname have made notable contributions in various fields. One such person was Pietro De Meo (1469-1537), a renowned Italian painter and sculptor from Naples who was known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout the region.
Another notable figure was Girolamo De Meo (1587-1662), a Neapolitan philosopher and mathematician who wrote extensively on topics such as logic, metaphysics, and natural philosophy. His works were influential during the Renaissance period and contributed to the advancement of scientific thought.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe De Meo (1819-1886) was a prominent Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and played a role in the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy.
Moving into the 20th century, Filippo De Meo (1901-1976) was an Italian operatic tenor who performed in numerous operas and concerts throughout Europe and the United States, earning critical acclaim for his powerful voice and dramatic interpretations.
Finally, in more recent times, Ferdinando De Meo (1936-2019) was an influential Italian film director and screenwriter known for his contributions to the Italian Neorealist cinema movement, with films exploring social and political themes in post-war Italy.
These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the DEMEO surname who have left their mark on various aspects of history, art, and culture over the centuries, reflecting the rich heritage and diversity associated with this Italian name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demeo
Among Census respondents with the surname Demeo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Demeo 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 Demeo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,013
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 100
- Two or more races2.4% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 29
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demeo
Demeo 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
#11,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,632
+188 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 157 places
2020
#13,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,212
-420 bearers (-16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 1,335 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,737 | 2,444 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,894 | 2,632 | 0.89 | +188 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 157 places |
| 2020 | #13,229 | 2,212 | 0.74 | -420 bearers (-16.0%) | Down 1,335 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 Demeo 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 | #11,894 | #13,229 | -11.2% |
| Count | 2,632 | 2,212 | -16.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.74 | -16.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demeo bearers went from 2,632 to 2,212 (-16.0% change). The surname moved down 1,335 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,894 to #13,229.
FAQ
Demeo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demeo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,537 living Americans carry the surname Demeo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,102 residents.
How common is Demeo?
Demeo ranks #13,229 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,212 people with the surname Demeo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,537), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Demeo.
Has Demeo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demeo went from 2,632 recorded bearers to 2,212. That is a decrease of 420 (-16.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,894 to #13,229.
What does the Census say about the background of Demeo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demeo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Demeo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,013 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demeo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Demeo (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 Demeo mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who worked with cattle or in a slaughterhouse. 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 Demeo (0.74 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 Demeo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.