2000
#8,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,454
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Durso
Derived from the Italian place name Orso, meaning "bear," or from the personal name Orso, referring to someone bear-like.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,261 Americans carry the last name Durso. That puts it at #10,723 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,107 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Durso 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Durso with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 105,107
Census rank
#10,723
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,844 bearers of the surname Durso in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10723rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Durso, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Durso
The surname Durso has its origins in Italy, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "durus," meaning "hard" or "tough," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone with a rugged or resilient personality.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Durso name was Giovanni Durso, a merchant from the city of Naples who lived in the late 13th century. Records show that he traded in various goods, including textiles and spices, and was known for his business acumen and negotiation skills.
In the 14th century, the Durso family gained prominence in the region of Calabria, where they were known for their involvement in agriculture and land ownership. One notable figure from this period was Tommaso Durso, a landowner and farmer who lived in the town of Cosenza around 1350.
By the 15th century, the Durso name had spread to other parts of Italy, including Sicily and the Abruzzo region. One notable bearer of the name was Pietro Durso, a scholar and philosopher from Palermo who lived in the late 15th century. He wrote extensively on topics such as logic, metaphysics, and ethics, and his works were widely read during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, the Durso family produced several notable figures in the field of the arts and literature. One such figure was Girolamo Durso, a poet and playwright from Naples who was born in 1520. His works explored themes of love, friendship, and the human condition, and he was celebrated for his mastery of language and poetic form.
Another notable bearer of the Durso name was Alessio Durso, an artist from Rome who lived in the late 16th century. He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes, many of which adorned churches and chapels throughout Italy. His work was heavily influenced by the Baroque style and was characterized by its dramatic use of light and shadow.
In the 17th century, the Durso family continued to produce notable figures in various fields. One such figure was Domenico Durso, a military commander who served in the Neapolitan army during the Thirty Years' War. He was known for his bravery and strategic skills, and his exploits were recorded in several contemporary accounts of the conflict.
As the centuries progressed, the Durso name continued to be associated with notable individuals in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts. While the origins of the name may be rooted in a distant past, its legacy has endured, serving as a testament to the resilience and accomplishments of those who have borne it throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Durso
Among Census respondents with the surname Durso, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Durso 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 Durso surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 2,635
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 134
- Two or more races1.5% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 20
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Durso
Durso 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
#9,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,445
-9 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 683 places
2020
#10,723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,844
-601 bearers (-17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 1,279 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,761 | 3,454 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,444 | 3,445 | 1.17 | -9 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 683 places |
| 2020 | #10,723 | 2,844 | 0.95 | -601 bearers (-17.4%) | Down 1,279 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 Durso 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 | #9,444 | #10,723 | -13.5% |
| Count | 3,445 | 2,844 | -17.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 0.95 | -18.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Durso bearers went from 3,445 to 2,844 (-17.4% change). The surname moved down 1,279 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,444 to #10,723.
FAQ
Durso surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Durso?
Name Census estimates that about 3,261 living Americans carry the surname Durso. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,107 residents.
How common is Durso?
Durso ranks #10,723 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,844 people with the surname Durso. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,261), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Durso.
Has Durso become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Durso went from 3,445 recorded bearers to 2,844. That is a decrease of 601 (-17.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,444 to #10,723.
What does the Census say about the background of Durso?
Among Census respondents with the surname Durso, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Durso in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,635 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Durso appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Durso (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 Durso mean?
Derived from the Italian place name Orso, meaning "bear," or from the personal name Orso, referring to someone bear-like. 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 Durso (0.95 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 are called Durso?
Find out how many people have the surname Durso on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.