2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fotino
An Italianized Greek surname derived from the word "photinos", meaning "luminous" or "bright".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Fotino. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fotino 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Fotino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fotino, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fotino
The surname FOTINO is of Greek origin, with its roots dating back to the Byzantine era. It likely originated in regions of present-day Greece, particularly in the areas around Thessaloniki and the islands of the Aegean Sea.
The name FOTINO is derived from the Greek word "photos," meaning light or radiance. It is believed to have been a descriptive surname, possibly referring to someone with a bright or radiant personality, or someone who worked with light, such as a candlemaker or lamplighter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FOTINO surname can be found in a manuscript dating back to the 14th century, which mentions a merchant named Georgios FOTINO from the island of Chios. This suggests that the name was already in use during the late Byzantine period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the FOTINO surname was Ioannis FOTINO, a scholar and philosopher from Crete. He was born in 1522 and lived until 1592, gaining recognition for his works on theology and ancient Greek philosophy.
Another historical figure with the FOTINO surname was Konstantinos FOTINO, a Greek revolutionary who fought against Ottoman rule in the early 19th century. He was born in 1786 and played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook the contributions of Eleni FOTINO, a renowned Greek writer and poet who lived from 1878 to 1948. Her works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, earning her critical acclaim.
Moving into the 20th century, Dimitrios FOTINO, born in 1912, was a prominent Greek diplomat who served as the ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
While the FOTINO surname has its origins in Greece, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its deep-rooted connection to Greek culture and history remains a defining aspect of its etymology and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fotino
Among Census respondents with the surname Fotino, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fotino 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 Fotino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fotino
Fotino 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-10 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,456 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,952 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 18,456 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,952 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 Fotino 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 | #147,253 | #150,205 | -2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 109 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fotino bearers went from 112 to 109 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,952 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #150,205.
FAQ
Fotino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fotino?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Fotino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Fotino?
Fotino ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Fotino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Fotino.
Has Fotino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fotino went from 112 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Fotino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fotino, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Fotino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fotino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Fotino (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 Fotino mean?
An Italianized Greek surname derived from the word "photinos", meaning "luminous" or "bright". 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 Fotino (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 people have the last name Fotino?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Fotino on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.