Find out how popular the last name Italiano is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Italiano.

Italiano, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Italiano surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Italiano in America

Italiano is the 22392nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Italiano surname appeared 1,150 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Italiano.

We can also compare 2010 data for Italiano to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Italiano

The surname Italiano originated in Italy, as one might expect from its name. It dates back to the Middle Ages, likely emerging as a descriptive surname referring to someone of Italian origin or heritage. The name is derived from the Italian word "italiano," meaning "Italian."

Italiano was initially used to distinguish individuals who had ties to Italy, whether they were born there, had Italian ancestry, or had lived in or traveled to Italy. It may have been given to someone who spoke Italian or displayed traits associated with Italian culture or customs. The name's earliest known recorded use can be traced back to the 13th century in various Italian regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Italiano appears in a Florentine document from 1268, referencing a certain Niccolò Italiano. Another early mention is found in a Venetian record from 1312, which lists a merchant named Giovanni Italiano.

In the 14th century, the surname is documented in the city of Siena, where a noble family called Italiano resided. A notable member of this family was Gherardo Italiano, a prominent lawyer and statesman who lived from 1350 to 1420.

During the Renaissance period, the name Italiano gained greater prominence. One of the most famous individuals bearing this surname was the humanist scholar and poet Pietro Italiano, born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1472. He was renowned for his Latin poetry and his contributions to the study of classical literature.

Another noteworthy figure was the architect and sculptor Francesco Italiano, who lived from 1517 to 1586. He was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and palaces in Rome and Naples, including the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome.

In the 17th century, the surname Italiano appeared in various regions of Italy, such as Tuscany, Lombardy, and Piedmont. One notable bearer of the name was the painter Girolamo Italiano, who was active in the early 1600s and known for his religious and allegorical works.

As the surname spread across Italy, it also underwent variations in spelling, including Italiani, Italico, and Italio. These variations often reflected regional dialects and linguistic influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Italiano

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Italiano.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Italiano was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Italiano has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Italiano was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Italiano, please contact us.

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