2000
#75,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 238
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Deniro
An Italian surname meaning "the black", possibly referring to dark hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 299 Americans carry the last name Deniro. That puts it at #78,873 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,146,336 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Deniro 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
299
1 in 1,146,336
Census rank
#78,873
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
261
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 261 bearers of the surname Deniro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 78873rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Deniro, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Deniro
The surname DENIRO has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian phrase "de Niro," which translates to "from the Black" or "from the Dark One." This name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive moniker for someone with a dark complexion or hair color.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DENIRO surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of historical documents from the southern Italian city of Bari. In this manuscript, a certain "Petrus de Niro" is mentioned in a legal document dated 1278.
During the Renaissance era, the DENIRO name appeared in various records and documents across Italy. In Florence, a prominent family of artists and sculptors bore this surname, including the renowned sculptor Girolamo de Niro (1476-1555), known for his works in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore.
In the 17th century, the DENIRO name spread to other regions of Italy, including Naples, where a notable figure was the philosopher and theologian Tommaso de Niro (1598-1672). His writings on ethics and moral philosophy were widely influential during his lifetime.
As Italian immigration to the Americas increased in the 19th and early 20th centuries, many individuals with the DENIRO surname settled in countries like the United States and Argentina. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States is that of Antonio De Niro, who arrived in New York from Naples in 1854.
Perhaps the most famous individual with the DENIRO surname is the renowned American actor Robert De Niro, born in 1943. Known for his iconic roles in films such as "The Godfather Part II," "Taxi Driver," and "Goodfellas," De Niro is considered one of the greatest actors of his generation.
Other notable individuals with the DENIRO surname include the Italian artist and sculptor Enrico De Niro (1884-1961), whose works can be found in various museums and galleries across Italy, and the Argentine writer and journalist Julio De Niro (1922-2001), who was known for his work in promoting Argentine literature and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Deniro
Among Census respondents with the surname Deniro, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Deniro 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 Deniro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 223
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 17
- Two or more races3.8% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 6
- Black or African American1.9% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Deniro
Deniro 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
#79,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 238
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 4,380 places
2020
#78,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 261
+23 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 973 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #75,466 | 238 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #79,846 | 238 | 0.08 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 4,380 places |
| 2020 | #78,873 | 261 | 0.09 | +23 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 973 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 Deniro 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 | #79,846 | #78,873 | 1.2% |
| Count | 238 | 261 | 9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Deniro bearers went from 238 to 261 (+9.7% change). The surname moved up 973 positions in the national ranking, going from #79,846 to #78,873.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Deniro
FAQ
Deniro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Deniro?
Name Census estimates that about 299 living Americans carry the surname Deniro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,146,336 residents.
How common is Deniro?
Deniro ranks #78,873 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 261 people with the surname Deniro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (299), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Deniro.
Has Deniro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Deniro went from 238 recorded bearers to 261. That is an increase of 23 (+9.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #79,846 to #78,873.
What does the Census say about the background of Deniro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Deniro, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.5%) 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 Deniro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (223 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Deniro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Hispanic (6.5%), 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 Deniro (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 Deniro mean?
An Italian surname meaning "the black", possibly referring to dark hair or complexion. 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 Deniro (0.09 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 Deniro?
You can see how many people are called Deniro on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.