2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Filoso
Of Italian origin, meaning "philosopher" or "lover of wisdom".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Filoso. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Filoso 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Filoso in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Filoso, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Filoso
The surname FILOSO is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. It is derived from the Italian word "filosofo," which translates to "philosopher" or "lover of wisdom." This connection suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon an individual or family with a scholarly or intellectual inclination.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FILOSO surname can be found in the 13th-century Florentine archives, where a certain Giovanni Filoso is mentioned as a prominent scholar and teacher. It is believed that this individual's dedication to the pursuit of knowledge and his affinity for philosophical discourse led to the adoption of the surname within his lineage.
During the Renaissance era, the FILOSO name gained further prominence in the city of Perugia, where a family of that name produced several notable figures. Notably, Pietro Filoso (1450-1524) was a renowned humanist scholar and poet, whose works were widely celebrated throughout the Italian literary circles of his time.
In the 16th century, the FILOSO surname was also associated with the town of Città della Pieve, located in the province of Perugia. Historical records from this period mention a certain Girolamo Filoso (1510-1578), who served as a respected magistrate and diplomat in the service of the Papal States.
Another prominent figure bearing the FILOSO surname was Lorenzo Filoso (1625-1698), a Jesuit priest and theologian from Perugia. His extensive writings and teachings on moral philosophy and ecclesiastical law earned him recognition throughout the Catholic intellectual circles of the 17th century.
Crossing into the 18th century, the FILOSO name found its way into the annals of Neapolitan nobility. Antonio Filoso (1725-1802), a nobleman and military leader, distinguished himself in the service of the Kingdom of Naples, earning renown for his valor and strategic acumen during the Napoleonic Wars.
Throughout its history, the FILOSO surname has maintained a strong association with intellectual and scholarly pursuits, reflecting the philosophical roots from which it originated. While the name may have undergone slight regional variations in spelling, its essence and connotations have endured across generations, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of knowledge and wisdom.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Filoso
Among Census respondents with the surname Filoso, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Filoso 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 Filoso surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino11.3% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Filoso
Filoso 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
#120,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
+20 bearers (+16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,999 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-38 bearers (-26.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,187 | 144 | 0.05 | +20 bearers (+16.1%) | Up 6,999 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -38 bearers (-26.4%) | Down 32,152 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 Filoso 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 | #120,187 | #152,339 | -26.8% |
| Count | 144 | 106 | -26.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -29.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Filoso bearers went from 144 to 106 (-26.4% change). The surname moved down 32,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,187 to #152,339.
FAQ
Filoso surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Filoso?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Filoso. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Filoso?
Filoso ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Filoso. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Filoso.
Has Filoso become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Filoso went from 144 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 38 (-26.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,187 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Filoso?
Among Census respondents with the surname Filoso, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Filoso in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Filoso appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Hispanic (11.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Filoso (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 Filoso mean?
Of Italian origin, meaning "philosopher" or "lover of wisdom". 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 Filoso (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 Filoso?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.