2000
#6,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,927
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.83
Rare Last name
Garofalo
An Italian occupational surname referring to a grower or seller of carnations or clove-scented flowers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,353 Americans carry the last name Garofalo. That puts it at #6,934 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,030 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garofalo 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 Garofalo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 64,030
Census rank
#6,934
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,668 bearers of the surname Garofalo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6934th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garofalo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garofalo
The surname Garofalo is of Italian origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the southern Italian regions of Campania and Calabria, where the name was particularly prevalent.
One of the earliest known records of the name can be found in a 13th-century document from the city of Naples, where a certain "Petrus Garofalo" was mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the area during that time.
The name Garofalo is derived from the Italian word "garofano," which translates to "carnation" or "clove." It is possible that the name was originally a nickname given to someone who cultivated or had a particular affinity for these fragrant flowers.
In the 15th century, the renowned Italian Renaissance painter Benvenuto Tisi, better known as Il Garofalo (1481-1559), hailed from the city of Ferrara. His artistic contributions and the use of the surname as a moniker further solidified the name's presence in Italian history.
Another notable figure bearing the Garofalo surname was Giovanni Battista Garofalo (1501-1559), a prominent theologian and scholar from Venice. He was renowned for his works on ecclesiastical law and his contributions to the Council of Trent.
During the 16th century, the Garofalo name also appeared in records from the city of Naples, where a family of that name held considerable influence and wealth. One member, Girolamo Garofalo (1519-1592), was a respected jurist and served as a magistrate in the city.
In the realm of literature, the Italian poet and playwright Giambattista Garofalo (1619-1677) gained recognition for his works, which included comedies and tragedies inspired by classical themes.
As time progressed, the Garofalo surname spread beyond its southern Italian origins, with individuals bearing the name found in various regions of Italy and beyond, contributing to the rich tapestry of the country's cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garofalo
Among Census respondents with the surname Garofalo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Garofalo 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 Garofalo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 4,253
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 316
- Two or more races1.6% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 16
- Black or African American0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garofalo
Garofalo 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
#6,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,152
+225 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Down 211 places
2020
#6,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,668
-484 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 363 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,360 | 4,927 | 1.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,571 | 5,152 | 1.75 | +225 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 211 places |
| 2020 | #6,934 | 4,668 | 1.56 | -484 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 363 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 Garofalo 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 | #6,571 | #6,934 | -5.5% |
| Count | 5,152 | 4,668 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.75 | 1.56 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garofalo bearers went from 5,152 to 4,668 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 363 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,571 to #6,934.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Garofalo
FAQ
Garofalo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garofalo?
Name Census estimates that about 5,353 living Americans carry the surname Garofalo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,030 residents.
How common is Garofalo?
Garofalo ranks #6,934 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,668 people with the surname Garofalo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,353), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Garofalo.
Has Garofalo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garofalo went from 5,152 recorded bearers to 4,668. That is a decrease of 484 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,571 to #6,934.
What does the Census say about the background of Garofalo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garofalo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Garofalo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (4,253 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garofalo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Garofalo (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 Garofalo mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a grower or seller of carnations or clove-scented flowers. 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 Garofalo (1.56 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 Garofalo?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Garofalo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.