2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Diogene
From the Ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes, referencing a frugal or stoic lifestyle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Diogene. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Diogene 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Diogene in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Diogene, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Diogene
The surname "DIOGENE" is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Calabria, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Greek word "diogens," meaning "born of Zeus" or "heaven-born." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who were considered exceptional or divine.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from the 12th century, where a nobleman named Diogene di Calabria is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use among the aristocracy of the region during that time.
In the 13th century, a Franciscan friar named Diogene da Palermo gained recognition for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy. He was born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1210 and died in 1282.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure with the surname Diogene was Petrus Diogene, a humanist scholar and poet from Naples. He lived from 1450 to 1520 and was renowned for his Latin poetry and translations of ancient Greek texts.
In the 17th century, a prominent Italian lawyer and jurist named Giovanni Battista Diogene (1590-1658) made significant contributions to the field of civil law. He served as a judge in the Kingdom of Naples and authored several influential legal treatises.
Another individual of note was Girolamo Diogene (1670-1735), an Italian architect and engineer from Calabria. He was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and public buildings in the region.
While the surname Diogene is not as common as some other Italian surnames, it has maintained a presence throughout history, particularly in southern Italy and Sicily. The name's connection to Greek philosophy and its associations with nobility and scholarship have contributed to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Diogene
Among Census respondents with the surname Diogene, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Diogene 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 Diogene surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American97.2% · 103
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Diogene
Diogene 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
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,895 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 4,895 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 Diogene 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 | #157,234 | #152,339 | 3.1% |
| Count | 103 | 106 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Diogene bearers went from 103 to 106 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 4,895 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #152,339.
FAQ
Diogene surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Diogene?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Diogene. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Diogene?
Diogene ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Diogene. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Diogene.
Has Diogene become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Diogene went from 103 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Diogene?
Among Census respondents with the surname Diogene, the largest self-reported group is Black at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Diogene in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Diogene appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (97.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Diogene (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 Diogene mean?
From the Ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes, referencing a frugal or stoic lifestyle. 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 Diogene (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 people have the last name Diogene?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Diogene on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.