2000
#1,941
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,013
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.31
Uncommon Last name
Greco
An Italian surname referring to a person from Greece or of Greek descent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,744 Americans carry the last name Greco. That puts it at #2,165 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greco 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 Greco with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,286
Census rank
#2,165
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,346 bearers of the surname Greco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2165th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greco
The surname Greco is of Italian origin and is derived from the Greek word "Graecos," meaning "Greek." It was initially used to refer to someone of Greek descent or someone who had some connection with Greece or Greek culture.
The name first appeared in Italy during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions with strong Greek influences, such as Sicily and parts of southern Italy. These areas had long-standing Greek colonies and were heavily influenced by Greek culture and language.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Greco can be found in medieval Italian documents and records. For example, a person named Grecus Maniscalcus was mentioned in a document from the city of Palermo, Sicily, in the year 1182.
The name Greco was also linked to various place names in Italy that had Greek roots, such as Grico and Greci. These place names were derived from the Greek word "Graecos" and often referred to areas with a significant Greek population or influence.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Greco. One of the earliest was Girolamo Greco (1563-1634), an Italian chess player and writer who is considered one of the most influential figures in the early development of modern chess theory.
Another prominent figure was Gian Battista Greco (1620-1692), an Italian painter and architect who worked in the Baroque style and was renowned for his fresco paintings in churches across Italy.
In the field of literature, Giambattista Greco (1782-1841) was an Italian poet and playwright from Naples who wrote in the Neapolitan dialect and is considered one of the founders of modern Neapolitan literature.
Vincenzo Greco (1819-1899) was an Italian sculptor and painter from Naples who is best known for his monumental sculptures and allegorical works.
More recently, Nunzio Greco (1927-1988) was an Italian-American professional wrestler and actor who gained fame in the 1950s and 1960s and was known for his flamboyant persona and colorful costumes.
While the surname Greco has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly among Italian diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the Greek influence on Italian culture and language during the Middle Ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greco
Among Census respondents with the surname Greco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Greco 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 Greco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 14,802
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 941
- Two or more races2.5% · 403
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 111
- Black or African American0.4% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greco
Greco 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
#2,110
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,150
+137 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 5.81
Rank movement Down 169 places
2020
#2,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,346
-804 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 5.47
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,941 | 17,013 | 6.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,110 | 17,150 | 5.81 | +137 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 169 places |
| 2020 | #2,165 | 16,346 | 5.47 | -804 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 55 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 Greco 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 | #2,110 | #2,165 | -2.6% |
| Count | 17,150 | 16,346 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 5.81 | 5.47 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greco bearers went from 17,150 to 16,346 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,110 to #2,165.
FAQ
Greco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greco?
Name Census estimates that about 18,744 living Americans carry the surname Greco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,286 residents.
How common is Greco?
Greco ranks #2,165 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,346 people with the surname Greco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,744), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Greco.
Has Greco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greco went from 17,150 recorded bearers to 16,346. That is a decrease of 804 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,110 to #2,165.
What does the Census say about the background of Greco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Greco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (14,802 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Greco (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 Greco mean?
An Italian surname referring to a person from Greece or of Greek descent. 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 Greco (5.47 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 share the surname Greco?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.