2000
#100,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Frescura
An Italian surname meaning "coolness" or "freshness."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 174 Americans carry the last name Frescura. That puts it at #120,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,969,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frescura 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
174
1 in 1,969,853
Census rank
#120,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
152
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 152 bearers of the surname Frescura in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 120164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frescura, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frescura
The surname Frescura has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "fresco," meaning "fresh" or "cool," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a cool or refreshing place.
One of the earliest known references to the Frescura name can be found in the records of the Venetian Republic, where a family bearing this surname is mentioned in the 13th century. The name's association with the Venetian region suggests that it may have originated in or around this area.
During the Renaissance period, the Frescura name gained prominence in the arts and literature. Notably, Giovanni Frescura (1492-1558) was a renowned painter from Verona, known for his frescoes adorning various churches and palaces in northern Italy.
In the 16th century, the Frescura family established itself in the city of Genoa, where they became influential merchants and bankers. Antonio Frescura (1523-1597) was a prominent figure in the Genoese banking industry, serving as a financial advisor to several noble families.
As the name spread across Italy, it also found its way into the ecclesiastical ranks. Father Alessandro Frescura (1618-1689) was a respected scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Piacenza in the latter half of the 17th century.
In the 19th century, the Frescura name gained international recognition through the works of the Italian writer and poet, Carlo Frescura (1802-1876). His literary contributions, particularly his collection of poems titled "Rime Frescure," were widely acclaimed and influenced the Romantic movement in Italian literature.
While the Frescura surname originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its roots can be traced back to the Italian peninsula, where it has a rich history spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frescura
Among Census respondents with the surname Frescura, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Frescura 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 Frescura surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 144
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 2
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frescura
Frescura 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
#105,079
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170
+4 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 4,416 places
2020
#120,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
-18 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 15,085 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #100,663 | 166 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #105,079 | 170 | 0.06 | +4 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 4,416 places |
| 2020 | #120,164 | 152 | 0.05 | -18 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 15,085 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 Frescura 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 | #105,079 | #120,164 | -14.4% |
| Count | 170 | 152 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -15.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frescura bearers went from 170 to 152 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 15,085 positions in the national ranking, going from #105,079 to #120,164.
FAQ
Frescura surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frescura?
Name Census estimates that about 174 living Americans carry the surname Frescura. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,969,853 residents.
How common is Frescura?
Frescura ranks #120,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 152 people with the surname Frescura. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (174), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Frescura.
Has Frescura become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frescura went from 170 recorded bearers to 152. That is a decrease of 18 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #105,079 to #120,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Frescura?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frescura, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.3%). 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 Frescura in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (144 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frescura appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Hispanic (3.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.3%). 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 Frescura (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 Frescura mean?
An Italian surname meaning "coolness" or "freshness." 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 Frescura (0.05 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 Frescura?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Frescura at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.