2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fiengo
An Italian surname originating from the Italian word "fiengo" meaning "haystack."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Fiengo. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fiengo 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Fiengo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fiengo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fiengo
The surname Fiengo has its origins in the Italian language and culture. It is believed to have emerged in the southern regions of Italy, particularly around the areas of Campania and Calabria, during the medieval period.
One of the earliest known references to the name Fiengo can be found in historical records dating back to the 13th century, where it was spelled as "Fiengho." This variation suggests that the name may have derived from the Italian word "fieno," which means "hay," possibly indicating an occupation or association with hay farming or trade.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various documents and manuscripts, including property records and legal contracts, in the city of Naples and its surrounding areas. During this time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, "Fiengo."
The first recorded instance of the surname Fiengo can be traced back to Giuseppe Fiengo, who was born in the town of Sorrento, near Naples, in the late 16th century. He was a prominent landowner and farmer, and his descendants continued to carry the Fiengo name.
Another notable figure was Antonio Fiengo, born in 1712 in the village of Pimonte, near Salerno. He was a respected scholar and linguist who contributed significantly to the study of Neapolitan dialects and their relation to the Italian language.
In the 19th century, the Fiengo surname gained recognition with the birth of Raffaele Fiengo (1818-1892), a renowned painter from Naples. His works, which depicted scenes of everyday life in the city, are showcased in various art galleries and museums across Italy.
The 20th century saw the emergence of Vincenzo Fiengo (1901-1978), a celebrated architect from the town of Vico Equense, near Sorrento. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Naples, including the Palazzo delle Poste (Post Office Building) and the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie (Church of St. Mary of Grace).
Another notable figure was Gennaro Fiengo (1927-2012), a linguist and professor at the University of Naples Federico II. His research on syntax and linguistic theory made significant contributions to the field of linguistics, and he was widely recognized for his work on generative grammar.
While the surname Fiengo is most prevalent in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in Campania and Calabria, it has also spread to other parts of the country and beyond due to migration and diaspora over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fiengo
Among Census respondents with the surname Fiengo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fiengo 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 Fiengo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fiengo
Fiengo 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+24 bearers (+23.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,616 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +24 bearers (+23.8%) | Up 14,616 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,799 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 Fiengo 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 | #134,712 | #143,511 | -6.5% |
| Count | 125 | 118 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fiengo bearers went from 125 to 118 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,799 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #143,511.
FAQ
Fiengo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fiengo?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Fiengo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Fiengo?
Fiengo ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Fiengo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Fiengo.
Has Fiengo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fiengo went from 125 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Fiengo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fiengo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Fiengo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fiengo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (8.5%), Black (0.8%). 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 Fiengo (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 Fiengo mean?
An Italian surname originating from the Italian word "fiengo" meaning "haystack." 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 Fiengo (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 Fiengo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.