2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fantino
A surname of Italian origin meaning "servant" or "young boy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Fantino. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fantino 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Fantino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fantino, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fantino
The surname Fantino originated in Italy, likely during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "fante," which means "foot soldier" or "infantryman." This suggests that the name may have originally been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who served as an infantry soldier.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fantino surname can be found in the historical records of the city of Genoa, dating back to the 13th century. These records mention a family with the name Fantino residing in the city during that time period.
The Fantino name also appears in several medieval manuscripts and documents from various regions of Italy, including Sicily and Tuscany. This indicates that the name was relatively widespread throughout the Italian peninsula during the Middle Ages.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Bartolomeo Fantino was a prominent merchant and banker in the city of Florence. He played a significant role in the city's economic affairs and was involved in several important financial transactions during his lifetime, which spanned from 1310 to 1378.
During the Renaissance period, the Fantino family produced several notable artists and intellectuals. One such figure was Giulio Fantino, a renowned painter born in Venice in 1492. His works are still admired today for their vibrant colors and skilled portrayal of religious and mythological scenes.
Another notable bearer of the Fantino name was Giovanni Fantino, a 16th-century philosopher and scholar from Naples. He authored several influential works on ethics and metaphysics, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 18th century, Giacomo Fantino was a celebrated architect from the city of Turin. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of San Carlo al Corso and the Palazzo Reale di Venaria Reale, both of which are considered architectural masterpieces.
Finally, in the 19th century, Giuseppe Fantino was a prominent Italian politician and statesman. He served as a member of the Italian parliament and was instrumental in shaping the country's political landscape during the crucial years following its unification.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fantino
Among Census respondents with the surname Fantino, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Fantino 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 Fantino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.8% · 80
- Hispanic or Latino10.1% · 10
- Two or more races6.1% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fantino
Fantino 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+6 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,431 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-30 bearers (-23.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 24,626 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 3,431 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -30 bearers (-23.3%) | Down 24,626 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 Fantino 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 | #131,379 | #156,005 | -18.7% |
| Count | 129 | 99 | -23.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fantino bearers went from 129 to 99 (-23.3% change). The surname moved down 24,626 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #156,005.
FAQ
Fantino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fantino?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Fantino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Fantino?
Fantino ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Fantino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Fantino.
Has Fantino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fantino went from 129 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 30 (-23.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Fantino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fantino, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Two or More Races (6.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fantino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.8% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fantino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.8%), Hispanic (10.1%), Two or More Races (6.1%). 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 Fantino (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 Fantino mean?
A surname of Italian origin meaning "servant" or "young boy." 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 Fantino (0.03 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 Fantino?
You can see how many people are called Fantino on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.