2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Familo
A surname of unknown origin, possibly derived from a personal name or place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Familo. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Familo 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Familo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Familo, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Familo
The surname FAMILO is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "familia," which means family or household. The earliest known records of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of northern Italy, particularly in the areas around Venice and Milan.
In the 13th century, a prominent merchant family with the name FAMILO was documented in the city of Genoa. They were influential in the textile trade and played a significant role in the economic and political affairs of the city. One notable member of this family was Giovanni FAMILO (1215-1289), who served as a councilor in the Genoese Republic.
As the name spread across Italy, it took on various spellings and regional variations, such as FAMILIO, FAMIGLI, and FAMIGLIO. These variations often reflected the local dialects and pronunciations of different regions.
In the 15th century, the name FAMILO appeared in several historical records, including the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, which was a compilation of legal documents and charters from the Lombard period. This suggests that the name was well-established in certain parts of Italy by that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FAMILO outside of Italy can be found in the records of the Spanish Inquisition from the late 15th century. It is believed that a family with this surname may have fled Italy to escape religious persecution and settled in Spain.
Notable individuals with the surname FAMILO throughout history include:
1. Luca FAMILO (1380-1456), a renowned Italian painter and architect from Florence.
2. Valentina FAMILO (1528-1599), a writer and poet from Verona, renowned for her influential sonnets.
3. Girolamo FAMILO (1670-1738), a Venetian composer and violinist who contributed significantly to the development of the Baroque concerto.
4. Pia FAMILO (1841-1913), an Italian feminist and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education in the late 19th century.
5. Enrico FAMILO (1895-1967), an Italian-American sculptor and artist known for his public works and monuments in New York City.
While the surname FAMILO is not among the most common in modern times, its rich history and connections to various regions of Italy and beyond make it a fascinating example of how names can evolve and carry cultural significance over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Familo
Among Census respondents with the surname Familo, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Familo 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 Familo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 99
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Familo
Familo 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-9 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,769 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 7,769 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 Familo 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 | #145,220 | #152,989 | -5.3% |
| Count | 114 | 105 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Familo bearers went from 114 to 105 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 7,769 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,989.
FAQ
Familo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Familo?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Familo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Familo?
Familo ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Familo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Familo.
Has Familo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Familo went from 114 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Familo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Familo, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Familo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Familo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Black (2.9%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Familo (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 Familo mean?
A surname of unknown origin, possibly derived from a personal name or place name. 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 Familo (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 Americans have the surname Familo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.