2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Denato
An Italian surname derived from the Latin phrase "de nato" meaning "of birth."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 180 Americans carry the last name Denato. That puts it at #117,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,904,191 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Denato 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
180
1 in 1,904,191
Census rank
#117,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
157
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 157 bearers of the surname Denato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 117309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Denato, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Denato
The surname DENATO is of Italian origin, with its roots dating back to the Renaissance period of the 15th and 16th centuries. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, where early records of the name can be found.
One of the earliest known references to the DENATO name appears in a collection of manuscripts from the Florentine archives, dated around the late 15th century. These documents mention a family by the name of DENATO residing in the city of Florence.
The name itself is thought to be derived from the Latin word "denatus," which means "born" or "brought forth." This suggests that the DENATO surname may have initially been given to a child born under unique or significant circumstances, or perhaps to someone who had migrated from another region.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the DENATO surname was Girolamo DENATO, a renowned scholar and humanist who lived in Rome. He was born in 1510 and is credited with several works on classical literature and philosophy.
Another historical figure of note was Tommaso DENATO, a Venetian merchant and trader who lived during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His travels and business ventures took him across the Mediterranean, and his name can be found in various trade records and ship manifests from that era.
During the 17th century, the DENATO name appeared in church records from the town of Assisi, in the region of Umbria. One such record mentions the marriage of Pietro DENATO and Maria Rossi in 1642.
In the 18th century, a prominent DENATO was Antonio DENATO, a skilled architect and engineer who was involved in the construction of several notable buildings in Rome, including the Chiesa di San Giovanni dei Fiorentini.
Moving into the 19th century, the DENATO surname gained further recognition with the birth of Cesare DENATO in 1825. He was a respected lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian parliament during the early years of the unified Kingdom of Italy.
Throughout its history, the DENATO surname has been associated with various professions and fields, including academia, commerce, the arts, and politics. While the name may have originated in specific regions of Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, carried by generations of DENATO families who have made their mark on the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Denato
Among Census respondents with the surname Denato, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Denato 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 Denato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.2% · 129
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 12
- Two or more races5.1% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 4
- Black or African American1.3% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Denato
Denato 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
#118,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
+2 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,820 places
2020
#117,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
+10 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 876 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,185 | 147 | 0.05 | +2 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 5,820 places |
| 2020 | #117,309 | 157 | 0.05 | +10 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 876 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 Denato 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 | #118,185 | #117,309 | 0.7% |
| Count | 147 | 157 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Denato bearers went from 147 to 157 (+6.8% change). The surname moved up 876 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,185 to #117,309.
FAQ
Denato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Denato?
Name Census estimates that about 180 living Americans carry the surname Denato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,904,191 residents.
How common is Denato?
Denato ranks #117,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 157 people with the surname Denato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (180), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Denato.
Has Denato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Denato went from 147 recorded bearers to 157. That is an increase of 10 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #118,185 to #117,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Denato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Denato, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Denato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.2% (129 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Denato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.2%), Hispanic (7.6%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Denato (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 Denato mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin phrase "de nato" meaning "of birth." 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 Denato (0.05 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 Denato?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Denato, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.