2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Demotto
An Italian surname derived from the Latin phrase "de motto" meaning "from the hill" or "from the high place".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Demotto. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Demotto 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Demotto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Demotto, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Demotto
The surname DEMOTTO is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the late medieval period in the region of Lombardy. The name is believed to be derived from the Latin phrase "de motto," which translates to "from the hill" or "from the mound." This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic descriptor for individuals residing in hilly or mountainous areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DEMOTTO name can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Bresciano, a collection of historical documents from the city of Brescia, dating back to the 13th century. This record mentions a certain "Petrus de Motto," indicating the presence of the surname in the region during that time.
In the 14th century, the DEMOTTO name appeared in the Estimo della Città e Provincia di Bergamo, a tax registry from the city of Bergamo. This document listed several individuals with variations of the name, such as "de Mottis" and "de Mottis de Brembilla," suggesting the surname's strong ties to various local communities in the Lombardy region.
Throughout the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the DEMOTTO surname. One such figure was Giovanni Battista de Motto (1515-1588), a prominent architect and engineer from Milan, who was responsible for designing several churches and civic buildings in the city.
Another notable figure was Antonio de Motto (1570-1642), a renowned painter from Brescia, whose works can be found in various churches and galleries throughout northern Italy.
During the 17th century, the DEMOTTO name gained recognition in the field of literature with the birth of Girolamo de Motto (1615-1687), a celebrated poet and playwright from Bergamo. His works were widely acclaimed and performed throughout the Italian states during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, the DEMOTTO surname was associated with the noble family of the same name, which originated from the town of Brembilla in the province of Bergamo. This family held significant landholdings and played a prominent role in the local politics and administration of the region.
One of the most illustrious members of this noble lineage was Count Gian Battista de Motto (1745-1820), a distinguished military officer who served in the armies of the Venetian Republic and later fought alongside Napoleon Bonaparte's forces during the French Revolutionary Wars.
As the centuries progressed, the DEMOTTO surname continued to be represented across various fields, including the arts, sciences, and academia. Notable individuals included the painter Giuseppe de Motto (1810-1882) from Milan, whose works were exhibited in numerous galleries throughout Europe, and the esteemed mathematician and philosopher Emilio de Motto (1875-1948), who taught at the University of Pavia and made significant contributions to the field of logic and set theory.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Demotto
Among Census respondents with the surname Demotto, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Demotto 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 Demotto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.1% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino10.4% · 11
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Demotto
Demotto 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,523 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,887 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 15,523 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,887 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 Demotto 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 | #150,452 | #152,339 | -1.3% |
| Count | 109 | 106 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Demotto bearers went from 109 to 106 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,887 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #152,339.
FAQ
Demotto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Demotto?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Demotto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Demotto?
Demotto ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Demotto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Demotto.
Has Demotto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Demotto went from 109 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Demotto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Demotto, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Demotto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Demotto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.1%), Hispanic (10.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Demotto (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 Demotto mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin phrase "de motto" meaning "from the hill" or "from the high place". 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 Demotto (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 have the surname Demotto?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.