2000
#9,325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,209
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Fortuna
An Italian surname referring to fortune, luck, or chance, often bestowed upon someone with good fortune.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,119 Americans carry the last name Fortuna. That puts it at #8,762 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,213 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fortuna 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 Fortuna with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,213
Census rank
#8,762
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,592 bearers of the surname Fortuna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8762nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortuna, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fortuna
The surname Fortuna is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word 'fortuna,' which means luck or fortune. The name is believed to have originated in the regions of Tuscany and Lazio, where it was likely used to describe someone who was considered fortunate or prosperous.
In the 13th century, the name Fortuna appears in several official documents and records in Florence and Rome. One notable early reference is found in the Florentine Libro di Montaperti, which chronicles the events surrounding the Battle of Montaperti in 1260. The document mentions a certain Guido Fortuna, a citizen of Florence who fought in the battle.
The Fortuna name can also be traced back to the 14th century, where it is found in the Catasto, a tax record from the Republic of Florence. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Gabriello Fortuna, a merchant who lived in Florence from around 1350 to 1420.
During the Renaissance period, the Fortuna family gained prominence in Italy, with several members achieving notable positions and accomplishments. Ludovico Fortuna (1455-1520) was a renowned architect and engineer who worked on various projects in Rome, including the construction of the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Capitoline Hill.
Another notable figure was Niccolò Fortuna (1501-1567), a humanist scholar and philosopher from Siena. He authored several works on philosophy and was considered a leading intellectual of his time.
In the 17th century, the Fortuna name appears in the annals of the Duchy of Milan, where a branch of the family had settled. One prominent member was Giovanni Battista Fortuna (1620-1679), a military commander who served under the Spanish rulers of Milan.
The name Fortuna can also be found in various regions of Italy, including Sicily, where it is sometimes spelled as 'Furtuna.' One of the earliest recorded individuals with this spelling was Vincenzo Furtuna (1680-1745), a landowner and businessman from Palermo.
Throughout history, the surname Fortuna has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, writers, and academics. Notable examples include the Italian painter Girolamo Fortuna (1670-1736), the Venetian scholar and linguist Domenico Fortuna (1725-1803), and the 19th-century poet and playwright Giuseppe Fortuna (1825-1892).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fortuna
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortuna, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Fortuna 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 Fortuna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.2% · 2,341
- Hispanic or Latino27.3% · 979
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 119
- Two or more races2.1% · 77
- Black or African American2.0% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fortuna
Fortuna 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
#9,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,606
+397 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 261 places
2020
#8,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,592
-14 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 302 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,325 | 3,209 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,064 | 3,606 | 1.22 | +397 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 261 places |
| 2020 | #8,762 | 3,592 | 1.20 | -14 bearers (-0.4%) | Up 302 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 Fortuna 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 | #9,064 | #8,762 | 3.3% |
| Count | 3,606 | 3,592 | -0.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.20 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fortuna bearers went from 3,606 to 3,592 (-0.4% change). The surname moved up 302 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,064 to #8,762.
FAQ
Fortuna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fortuna?
Name Census estimates that about 4,119 living Americans carry the surname Fortuna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,213 residents.
How common is Fortuna?
Fortuna ranks #8,762 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,592 people with the surname Fortuna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Fortuna.
Has Fortuna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fortuna went from 3,606 recorded bearers to 3,592. That is a decrease of 14 (-0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,064 to #8,762.
What does the Census say about the background of Fortuna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortuna, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Fortuna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.2% (2,341 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fortuna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.2%), Hispanic (27.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%). 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 Fortuna (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 Fortuna mean?
An Italian surname referring to fortune, luck, or chance, often bestowed upon someone with good fortune. 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 Fortuna (1.20 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 are called Fortuna?
You can see how many people are called Fortuna on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.