Find out how popular the last name DiDonato is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named DiDonato.

DiDonato, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the DiDonato surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DiDonato in America

DiDonato is the 9672nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DiDonato surname appeared 3,355 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname DiDonato.

We can also compare 2010 data for DiDonato to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name DiDonato

The surname DIDONATO is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the region of Campania in Southern Italy during the late medieval period. It is derived from the phrase "di Donato," which translates to "of Donato," suggesting a patronymic lineage connected to an ancestor named Donato.

The name Donato itself has its origins in the Latin word "donatus," meaning "given" or "donated," and was a common name among early Christians. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname DIDONATO can be found in the historic records of the city of Naples, dating back to the 14th century.

In the annals of Italian history, the name DIDONATO gained prominence in the 16th century with the rise of the prominent Neapolitan family of the same name. Notable members of this family include Giovan Battista Di Donato, a renowned architect and sculptor who lived from 1530 to 1598, and whose works can be found adorning many of Naples' historic churches and palaces.

Another significant figure bearing the DIDONATO name was Giovanni Di Donato, a 17th-century painter from the town of Vasto in the Abruzzo region. His works, primarily depicting religious scenes, can be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.

In the 19th century, the DIDONATO name gained further recognition with the birth of Vincenzo Di Donato (1849-1920), a celebrated Italian jurist and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was instrumental in shaping the country's legal system.

Crossing into the 20th century, one cannot overlook the contributions of Pietro Di Donato (1911-1992), a notable Italian-American author and bricklayer whose semi-autobiographical novel "Christ in Concrete" (1939) shed light on the harsh realities faced by Italian immigrants in the United States.

While the DIDONATO surname may have its roots in Southern Italy, it has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of Italian emigrants seeking new opportunities in far-flung lands. Yet, despite its geographical dispersion, the name remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and enduring legacy of its Italian origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DiDonato

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname DiDonato.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for DiDonato was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of DiDonato has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name DiDonato was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of DiDonato, please contact us.

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