2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Donatiello
Italian surname derived from the diminutive form of the given name "Donato", meaning "gift".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Donatiello. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Donatiello 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Donatiello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Donatiello, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Donatiello
The surname Donatiello has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian personal name "Donato," which itself comes from the Latin "Donatus," meaning "given" or "bestowed." This suggests that the name may have been given to a child who was seen as a gift or blessing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Donatiello can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period in Italy. In this manuscript, dated around the 8th century, there is a reference to a certain "Donatiello de Beneventum," indicating that the name was present in the southern region of Benevento at that time.
The name Donatiello also appears in various medieval records from the cities of Florence, Siena, and Lucca. These documents, which date back to the 13th and 14th centuries, suggest that the name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria.
One notable individual bearing the surname Donatiello was Bartolomeo Donatiello, a Florentine painter who lived during the 15th century. His works can still be seen in several churches and museums throughout Italy.
Another significant figure with this surname was Girolamo Donatiello, a 16th-century Venetian diplomat and scholar. He was known for his expertise in classical literature and his diplomatic missions to various European courts.
In the 17th century, the name Donatiello was associated with the noble family of the same name from Naples. This family was known for their involvement in the arts and their patronage of several prominent artists and architects of the time.
A notable bearer of the name Donatiello in the 18th century was Giuseppe Donatiello, an Italian architect who designed several important buildings in Rome, including the Church of San Giovanni Battista dei Genovesi.
In the 19th century, the surname Donatiello was found in various regions of Italy, including Sicily, where it was sometimes spelled as "Donatello." One notable individual from this period was Antonio Donatiello, a Sicilian writer and journalist who was active in the Italian unification movement.
Throughout its history, the surname Donatiello has been associated with various professions, including artists, scholars, diplomats, and members of the nobility. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Italy, the name has undoubtedly spread to other parts of the world over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Donatiello
Among Census respondents with the surname Donatiello, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Donatiello 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 Donatiello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Donatiello
Donatiello 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,507 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,724 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,507 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 6,724 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 Donatiello 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 | #138,304 | #145,028 | -4.9% |
| Count | 121 | 116 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Donatiello bearers went from 121 to 116 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 6,724 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #145,028.
FAQ
Donatiello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Donatiello?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Donatiello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Donatiello?
Donatiello ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Donatiello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Donatiello.
Has Donatiello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Donatiello went from 121 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Donatiello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Donatiello, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Donatiello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Donatiello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Hispanic (6.0%), Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Donatiello (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 Donatiello mean?
Italian surname derived from the diminutive form of the given name "Donato", meaning "gift". 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 Donatiello (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 common is the surname Donatiello?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Donatiello on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.