2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Desopo
An Italian surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the region of Sopo.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Desopo. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desopo 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Desopo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desopo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desopo
The surname DESOPO is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Tuscany. It is derived from the Italian words "di" meaning "of" and "sopo," which was a local dialect word meaning "wise" or "learned." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon an individual renowned for their intelligence or scholarly pursuits.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DESOPO surname can be found in the renowned Florentine manuscript, the "Libro di Montaperti," which documents the events of the Battle of Montaperti in 1260. The name appears in this historical record, indicating its presence in Tuscany during the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the DESOPO family is mentioned in the records of the city of Siena, where they were among the prominent noble families. A notable figure from this era was Guido DESOPO (1322-1397), a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Sienese court.
During the Renaissance period, the DESOPO name gained further prominence with the rise of Girolamo DESOPO (1470-1538), a celebrated humanist scholar and poet from Florence. His works, including a collection of sonnets and odes, were widely acclaimed and helped establish the DESOPO family's reputation for intellectual pursuits.
Another noteworthy individual was Pietro DESOPO (1589-1654), a renowned architect from Siena who was responsible for designing several iconic buildings, including the Church of Sant'Agostino and the Palazzo Piccolomini-Mandoli. His architectural works showcased the DESOPO family's contribution to the arts and cultural heritage of the region.
In the 18th century, the DESOPO name was associated with the world of academia when Vincenzo DESOPO (1718-1792) became a celebrated professor of philosophy at the University of Pisa. His teachings and writings on metaphysics and epistemology garnered widespread recognition, further cementing the family's intellectual legacy.
While the DESOPO surname originated in Italy, it eventually spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its roots and historical significance remain deeply intertwined with the regions of Tuscany and the vibrant cultural and intellectual traditions that flourished there over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desopo
Among Census respondents with the surname Desopo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Desopo 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 Desopo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desopo
Desopo 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,151 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 1,151 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,540 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 Desopo 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 | #149,395 | #150,935 | -1.0% |
| Count | 110 | 108 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desopo bearers went from 110 to 108 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,540 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #150,935.
FAQ
Desopo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desopo?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Desopo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Desopo?
Desopo ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Desopo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Desopo.
Has Desopo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desopo went from 110 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Desopo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desopo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Desopo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desopo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (4.6%), Black (1.9%). 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 Desopo (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 Desopo mean?
An Italian surname derived from a place name, possibly related to the region of Sopo. 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 Desopo (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 Americans have the surname Desopo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.