2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fangonilo
A surname of Malagasy origin meaning "to give an order" or "instruction".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Fangonilo. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fangonilo 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Fangonilo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fangonilo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.2%) and White (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fangonilo
The surname "FANGONILO" is of Italian origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Latin words "fango" meaning mud or clay, and "nilo" referring to the Nile River. This suggests that the name may have originated from a family or individual with ties to the regions along the Nile River basin, perhaps involved in pottery or clay-related trades.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a medieval manuscript from the city of Florence, dated around 1275. The document mentions a "Giovanni Fangonilo," who was a potter and merchant dealing in ceramic wares. This provides historical evidence that the name was present in central Italy during the late Middle Ages.
Another notable reference comes from the archives of the city of Siena, where a "Niccolò Fangonilo" is listed as a landowner and vineyard operator in the 14th century. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of Tuscany and was associated with agricultural activities as well.
In the 16th century, a "Bianca Fangonilo" is recorded as a renowned painter and artist in the court of the Medici family in Florence. Her works, including portraits and religious paintings, can still be found in various museums and galleries across Italy.
During the Renaissance period, a "Giulio Fangonilo" (1498-1572) was a renowned scholar and philosopher based in Venice. His writings on classical literature and philosophy were widely influential in academic circles of the time.
In the 18th century, a "Lorenzo Fangonilo" (1712-1788) was a prominent architect and engineer who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings and infrastructure projects in the city of Rome.
While the name "FANGONILO" is not as common today, it has a rich historical heritage rooted in various regions of Italy, spanning professions such as pottery, art, scholarship, and architecture over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fangonilo
Among Census respondents with the surname Fangonilo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.2%) and White (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Fangonilo 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 Fangonilo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander70.9% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino22.2% · 26
- White5.1% · 6
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fangonilo
Fangonilo 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,130 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 Fangonilo 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 | #141,140 | #144,270 | -2.2% |
| Count | 118 | 117 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fangonilo bearers went from 118 to 117 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #144,270.
FAQ
Fangonilo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fangonilo?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Fangonilo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Fangonilo?
Fangonilo ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Fangonilo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Fangonilo.
Has Fangonilo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fangonilo went from 118 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Fangonilo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fangonilo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.2%) and White (5.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fangonilo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.9% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fangonilo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (70.9%), Hispanic (22.2%), White (5.1%). 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 Fangonilo (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 Fangonilo mean?
A surname of Malagasy origin meaning "to give an order" or "instruction". 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 Fangonilo (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 have the last name Fangonilo?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Fangonilo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.