2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dicato
Italian occupational surname meaning a messenger or town crier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Dicato. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dicato 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Dicato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dicato, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dicato
The surname DICATO is of Italian origin, believed to have emerged in the early 13th century. It is derived from the Latin word "dicatus," meaning "dedicated" or "devoted." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who were deeply devoted to their faith or cause.
The earliest recorded instances of the DICATO surname date back to the late 13th century in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, central Italy. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Guido Dicato, a merchant from Florence born around 1275, and Pietro Dicato, a scribe from Perugia born in 1290.
Historical records indicate that the DICATO name appeared in various medieval documents and manuscripts, including the tax records of the Papal States from the 14th century. One notable reference is found in the "Annali di Perugia," a chronicle of the city's history, which mentions a family of the DICATO name residing in the city during the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the DICATO surname gained prominence with the birth of Girolamo Dicato (1510-1588), a renowned Italian jurist and legal scholar. He authored several influential works on Roman law and served as a professor at the University of Perugia.
Another notable figure was Vincenzo Dicato (1670-1744), a Baroque painter from Naples. His works adorned several churches and palaces throughout southern Italy, showcasing his mastery of the Baroque style.
In the 18th century, the DICATO name was associated with the Italian composer and violinist Giovanni Battista Dicato (1732-1805). He was a prominent figure in the Neapolitan School of composers and is remembered for his contributions to the development of the violin concerto.
The 19th century saw the birth of Antonio Dicato (1825-1901), an Italian politician and lawyer from Piedmont. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was instrumental in shaping the legal system of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy.
Furthermore, the DICATO surname has been linked to various place names and localities in central Italy, such as Dicato di Sopra and Dicato di Sotto, small villages near Perugia, reflecting the historical presence of the name in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dicato
Among Census respondents with the surname Dicato, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dicato 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 Dicato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 8
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dicato
Dicato appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 725 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 725 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 Dicato 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 | #154,907 | #154,182 | 0.5% |
| Count | 105 | 103 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dicato bearers went from 105 to 103 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 725 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,182.
FAQ
Dicato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dicato?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Dicato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Dicato?
Dicato ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Dicato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Dicato.
Has Dicato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dicato went from 105 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Dicato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dicato, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Dicato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dicato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Hispanic (7.8%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Dicato (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 Dicato mean?
Italian occupational surname meaning a messenger or town crier. 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 Dicato (0.03 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 Dicato?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.