Longo
An Italian occupational surname referring to a tall or long-limbed person.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,636 Americans carry the last name Longo. That puts it at #2,864 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,419 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Longo surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
15K
1 in 23,419
Census rank
#2,864
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,594 bearers of the surname Longo in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2864th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Longo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Longo
The surname Longo is of Italian origin and derives from the Italian word "lungo," meaning "long" or "tall." It was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a tall stature.
The name Longo can be traced back to the Middle Ages, with records showing its use in various parts of Italy, particularly in the regions of Lombardy, Veneto, and Sicily. It is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the 12th or 13th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Longo appears in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of documents from the Lombard period, where it is mentioned in a land transaction in Verona, dated 1179.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Longo was Enrico Longo, a Venetian merchant and diplomat active in the mid-1200s. He is mentioned in historical records as representing the Republic of Venice in trade negotiations with other Italian city-states.
Another prominent individual with the surname Longo was Giovanni Battista Longo, a 16th-century Italian painter and architect from Naples. He was renowned for his work on churches and palaces in Naples and surrounding areas, including the Church of Santa Maria della Misericordia.
During the Renaissance period, the Longo family played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of Italy. One notable member was Alessandro Longo, a 16th-century humanist scholar and philosopher from Padua, born in 1525 and died in 1591.
In the 18th century, Giuseppe Longo, an Italian mathematician and astronomer from Naples, gained recognition for his contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He was born in 1728 and died in 1804.
Another notable figure with the surname Longo was Gennaro Longo, an Italian painter and sculptor from Naples, active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He is known for his works adorning various churches and public buildings in Naples and its surroundings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Longo
Among Census respondents with the surname Longo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Longo bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Longo surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4%
- Hispanic or Latino4.7%
- Black or African American1.2%
- Two or more races0.9%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Longo surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,731 | #2,864 | -4.9% |
| Count | 12,122 | 12,594 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.49 | 4.27 | -4.9% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Longo bearers went from 12,122 to 12,594 (+3.9% change). The surname moved down 133 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,731 to #2,864.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Longo
FAQ
Longo surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Longo?
The surname Longo holds position #2,864 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 14,636 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 4.27 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Longo surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Longo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (1.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.