2000
#20,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Indelicato
A surname meaning "delicate" or "frail" in Italian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,280 Americans carry the last name Indelicato. That puts it at #23,473 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 267,777 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Indelicato 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
1.3K
1 in 267,777
Census rank
#23,473
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,116 bearers of the surname Indelicato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23473rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Indelicato, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Indelicato
The surname Indelicato has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Italian word "delicato," which means "delicate" or "gentle." The prefix "in" added to the word suggests the opposite meaning, implying "not delicate" or "not gentle."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Indelicato can be found in the Sicilian town of Corleone, where a family with this name was documented in the 15th century. It is possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to an individual with a robust or sturdy demeanor, contrasting with the meaning of the word "delicato."
In the 16th century, the Indelicato surname appeared in various Italian records, including the Archivio di Stato di Napoli (State Archive of Naples) and the Archivio di Stato di Palermo (State Archive of Palermo). These archives contain documents related to legal transactions, property ownership, and other official matters involving individuals with the Indelicato surname.
During the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Indelicato name was Giuseppe Indelicato (1625-1688), a Sicilian painter known for his religious works. His paintings can be found in various churches and monasteries throughout Sicily.
In the 19th century, the Indelicato surname was associated with several influential families in Sicily. One such family was the Indelicato di Bianchi, who were landowners and prominent figures in the town of Campobello di Mazara. Another notable individual was Francesco Indelicato (1834-1909), a lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament.
Another significant figure with the Indelicato surname was Vincenzo Indelicato (1878-1950), a Sicilian writer and journalist. He was known for his works that explored the culture and traditions of Sicily, including the novel "La Terra dell'Etna" (The Land of Etna).
Throughout history, the Indelicato surname has been present in various regions of Italy, particularly in Sicily and the southern regions. While the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has since become a well-established surname, representing a rich cultural heritage and a connection to the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Indelicato
Among Census respondents with the surname Indelicato, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Indelicato 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 Indelicato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 1,015
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 48
- Two or more races2.4% · 27
- Black or African American1.1% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Indelicato
Indelicato 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
#21,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,191
+20 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 895 places
2020
#23,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,116
-75 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Down 1,643 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,935 | 1,171 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,830 | 1,191 | 0.40 | +20 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 895 places |
| 2020 | #23,473 | 1,116 | 0.37 | -75 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 1,643 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 Indelicato 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 | #21,830 | #23,473 | -7.5% |
| Count | 1,191 | 1,116 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.37 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Indelicato bearers went from 1,191 to 1,116 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 1,643 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,830 to #23,473.
FAQ
Indelicato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Indelicato?
Name Census estimates that about 1,280 living Americans carry the surname Indelicato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 267,777 residents.
How common is Indelicato?
Indelicato ranks #23,473 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.37 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 1,116 people with the surname Indelicato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,280), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.37 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 Indelicato.
Has Indelicato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Indelicato went from 1,191 recorded bearers to 1,116. That is a decrease of 75 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,830 to #23,473.
What does the Census say about the background of Indelicato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Indelicato, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Indelicato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (1,015 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Indelicato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Indelicato (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 Indelicato mean?
A surname meaning "delicate" or "frail" in Italian. 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 Indelicato (0.37 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 Indelicato?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.