2000
#5,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,426
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.01
Rare Last name
Federico
An Italian patronymic surname derived from the given name Federico, meaning "peaceful ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,238 Americans carry the last name Federico. That puts it at #6,063 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,946 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Federico 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Federico with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 54,946
Census rank
#6,063
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,440 bearers of the surname Federico in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6063rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Federico, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Federico
The surname FEDERICO is of Italian origin, derived from the medieval Italian given name Federico, which itself is derived from the Germanic name Fridurīk, composed of the elements frid (meaning "peace") and rīk (meaning "ruler" or "powerful"). The name can be traced back to the 8th century and is believed to have been introduced to Italy by the Lombards, a Germanic tribe that ruled parts of the Italian peninsula from the 6th to the 8th centuries.
The earliest recorded instances of the FEDERICO surname can be found in historical documents and records from various regions of Italy, such as Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. One notable example is the mention of a Frederico di Guglielmo in a document from the city of Perugia, dated 1273. The name also appears in the Montefeltre Chronicle, a historical text from the 14th century that records the deeds of the Montefeltro family, rulers of the Duchy of Urbino.
Over the centuries, the FEDERICO surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including Federico da Montefeltro (1422-1482), an Italian condottiero (mercenary leader) and Duke of Urbino, renowned for his military prowess and patronage of the arts. Another prominent figure was Federico Borromeo (1564-1631), a Roman Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Milan, who was renowned for his piety, intellectual pursuits, and charitable works.
In the artistic realm, the name FEDERICO is linked to the Italian painter Federico Barocci (1535-1612), known for his vibrant and emotionally charged religious works, as well as the sculptor Federico Brentel (1580-1651), who created intricate wooden sculptures for churches and palaces throughout Italy.
During the Renaissance period, the FEDERICO surname was also associated with the influential Florentine family of the Federighi, who played a significant role in the political and cultural life of the city. One notable member was Federigo Federighi (1420-1487), a prominent banker, diplomat, and patron of the arts.
As the FEDERICO surname spread beyond Italy, it also gained recognition in other parts of Europe and the Americas. For instance, Federico García Lorca (1898-1936) was a renowned Spanish poet and playwright, celebrated for his works that explored themes of passion, death, and the enduring spirit of his native Andalusia.
Throughout its history, the surname FEDERICO has maintained a strong connection to its Italian roots, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of this name in various spheres of human endeavor.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Federico
Among Census respondents with the surname Federico, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Federico 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 Federico surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.1% · 3,705
- Hispanic or Latino27.7% · 1,507
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 107
- Two or more races1.6% · 86
- Black or African American0.3% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Federico
Federico 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
#5,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,951
+525 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 2.02
Rank movement Up 31 places
2020
#6,063
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,440
-511 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Down 253 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,841 | 5,426 | 2.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,810 | 5,951 | 2.02 | +525 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 31 places |
| 2020 | #6,063 | 5,440 | 1.82 | -511 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 253 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 Federico 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 | #5,810 | #6,063 | -4.4% |
| Count | 5,951 | 5,440 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.02 | 1.82 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Federico bearers went from 5,951 to 5,440 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 253 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,810 to #6,063.
FAQ
Federico surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Federico?
Name Census estimates that about 6,238 living Americans carry the surname Federico. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,946 residents.
How common is Federico?
Federico ranks #6,063 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,440 people with the surname Federico. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,238), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Federico.
Has Federico become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Federico went from 5,951 recorded bearers to 5,440. That is a decrease of 511 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,810 to #6,063.
What does the Census say about the background of Federico?
Among Census respondents with the surname Federico, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Federico in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.1% (3,705 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Federico appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.1%), Hispanic (27.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Federico (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 Federico mean?
An Italian patronymic surname derived from the given name Federico, meaning "peaceful ruler." 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 Federico (1.82 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 Federico?
Find out how many people are called Federico on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.