2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Falto
A surname potentially derived from Italian or Spanish roots, suggesting a defect or lack.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Falto. 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 Falto 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 Falto 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 Falto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.0%. The next largest groups are White (15.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Falto
The surname Falto originated in the Iberian peninsula, specifically in the region of Portugal during the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "fallitus," which means "deceived" or "mistaken." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was known for their tendency to make mistakes or be easily deceived.
In the early 13th century, the Falto name appeared in several historical records in the region of Algarve, Portugal. One notable reference is found in the "Livro da Demanda," a medieval Portuguese manuscript that chronicles the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal.
The earliest recorded bearer of the Falto surname was João Falto, a Portuguese nobleman born in 1215. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Afonso III and was known for his military exploits during the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.
Another notable Falto was Rodrigo Falto, a 14th-century Portuguese explorer who accompanied the famed navigator Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India in 1498. Rodrigo Falto played a crucial role in establishing trade relations between Portugal and the Indian subcontinent.
In the 16th century, the Falto name spread beyond Portugal to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One remarkable individual was Catalina Falto, a Spanish woman born in 1525 who became one of the first European settlers in the Americas. She was part of the expedition led by Hernán Cortés and played a significant role in the establishment of the Spanish colonies in Mexico.
During the 17th century, the Falto name gained prominence in England, likely due to Portuguese immigrants or descendants. One notable figure was Sir Thomas Falto, an English politician and landowner born in 1645. He served as a member of parliament and was known for his involvement in the English Civil War.
The surname Falto also has a strong presence in Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. One of the most famous Italians with this name was Lorenzo Falto, a renowned painter and sculptor born in Florence in 1710. His works were highly regarded during the Italian Renaissance and can be found in museums across Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Falto
Among Census respondents with the surname Falto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.0%. The next largest groups are White (15.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Falto 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 Falto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.0% · 88
- White15.1% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Falto
Falto 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
+6 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,636 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+6.0%) | Up 8,636 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 Falto 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 | #160,975 | #152,339 | 5.4% |
| Count | 100 | 106 | 6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Falto bearers went from 100 to 106 (+6.0% change). The surname moved up 8,636 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #152,339.
FAQ
Falto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Falto?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Falto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Falto?
Falto 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 Falto. 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 Falto.
Has Falto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Falto went from 100 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 6 (+6.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Falto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Falto, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.0%. The next largest groups are White (15.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Falto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Falto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.0%), White (15.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Falto (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 Falto mean?
A surname potentially derived from Italian or Spanish roots, suggesting a defect or lack. 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 Falto (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 share the surname Falto?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.