Falsetto last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Falsetto

A surname derived from the Italian musical term meaning a high-pitched singing voice.

Falsetto, 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 Falsetto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Falsetto in America

Falsetto is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Falsetto surname appeared 133 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Falsetto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Falsetto 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 128249 140756 -9.30%
Count 133 109 19.83%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.04 22.22%

The history of the last name Falsetto

The surname Falsetto is believed to have originated from Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It likely emerged during the late medieval or early Renaissance period, around the 13th to 15th centuries.

The name Falsetto is thought to be derived from the Italian word "falsetto," which means "false" or "artificial." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who spoke in an artificially high or falsetto voice.

In the annals of history, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Falsetto surname can be found in a collection of documents from the city of Genoa, dating back to the late 15th century. These documents mention a merchant named Giulio Falsetto, who was involved in trade with other Italian city-states and regions.

During the 16th century, the Falsetto name appeared in various records from the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. One notable figure was Pietro Falsetto, a renowned painter and fresco artist who was active in the city of Turin between 1520 and 1580.

As the name spread throughout Italy, it also took on variations in spelling, such as Falcetto, Falsetti, and Falsitti. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time.

In the 17th century, the Falsetto surname made its way to other parts of Europe. One prominent individual was Antonio Falsetto, a Venetian composer and musician who lived from 1635 to 1702. He is credited with contributing to the development of the early Baroque style of music.

Moving into the 18th century, the Falsetto name gained recognition in the field of literature. Maria Falsetto, born in 1725 in Naples, was a renowned poet and writer whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.

As the centuries progressed, the Falsetto surname continued to spread across various regions and countries, with individuals making their mark in various fields. For instance, in the 19th century, Giuseppe Falsetto (1820-1892) was a prominent Italian politician and statesman who played a significant role in the unification of Italy.

Overall, the surname Falsetto has a rich history rooted in the Italian peninsula, with its origins dating back several centuries. While initially associated with a descriptive nickname, it has since become a respected surname carried by individuals who have made significant contributions across various disciplines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Falsetto

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

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 Falsetto was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.73% 122
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 6.77% 9

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 Falsetto has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.73% 94.50% -2.97%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 6.77% (S)% (S)%

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 Falsetto was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Falsetto last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 17, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/falsetto-surname-popularity/.

"Falsetto last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/falsetto-surname-popularity/. Accessed 17 June, 2025

Falsetto last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/falsetto-surname-popularity/.

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