2000
#2,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,568
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.66
Uncommon Last name
Lorenzo
A patronymic surname of Spanish and Italian origin, derived from the given name Lorenzo, meaning "from Laurentum" or "crowned with laurel."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,563 Americans carry the last name Lorenzo. That puts it at #1,873 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,895 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lorenzo 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 Lorenzo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,895
Census rank
#1,873
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,804 bearers of the surname Lorenzo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1873rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorenzo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 68.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lorenzo
The surname LORENZO originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which means "from Laurentum," an ancient city near Rome. The name was also associated with the laurel tree, a symbol of victory and honor in ancient Rome.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LORENZO can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Cava de' Tirreni monastery in Campania, Italy, dating back to the 11th century. The name was particularly common in central and southern Italy, including regions like Lazio, Campania, and Basilicata.
In the 13th century, the LORENZO family was prominent in the city of Florence, where several members held important positions in the government and the arts. One notable figure was Pietro LORENZO, a Florentine painter who lived from around 1230 to 1310 and contributed to the decoration of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.
Another notable bearer of the LORENZO surname was Niccolò LORENZO, a Renaissance philosopher and humanist from Padua, who lived from 1429 to 1501. He was known for his translations of ancient Greek texts and his contributions to the study of rhetoric.
In the 16th century, Juan LORENZO, a Spanish explorer and conquistador, was one of the first Europeans to explore the interior of modern-day Venezuela. He led several expeditions between 1530 and 1535, establishing settlements and making contact with indigenous populations.
During the 17th century, the LORENZO family had a presence in the Kingdom of Naples, where they held land and titles. One prominent member was Tommaso LORENZO, a nobleman and military officer who served as the governor of Salerno from 1665 to 1672.
Over the centuries, the LORENZO surname has spread across Italy and beyond, with variations in spelling such as Laurenzi, Laurenti, and Laurentis. The name has also been adopted by individuals of other nationalities, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries, where it has been influenced by the Spanish pronunciation of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lorenzo
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorenzo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 68.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lorenzo 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 Lorenzo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino68.7% · 12,926
- White17.6% · 3,311
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.8% · 1,848
- Two or more races1.8% · 337
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 192
- Black or African American1.0% · 190
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lorenzo
Lorenzo 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
#2,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,825
+5,257 bearers (+41.8%)
Per 100,000 6.04
Rank movement Up 619 places
2020
#1,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,804
+979 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 6.29
Rank movement Up 151 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,643 | 12,568 | 4.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,024 | 17,825 | 6.04 | +5,257 bearers (+41.8%) | Up 619 places |
| 2020 | #1,873 | 18,804 | 6.29 | +979 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 151 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 Lorenzo 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 | #2,024 | #1,873 | 7.5% |
| Count | 17,825 | 18,804 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.04 | 6.29 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lorenzo bearers went from 17,825 to 18,804 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 151 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,024 to #1,873.
FAQ
Lorenzo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lorenzo?
Name Census estimates that about 21,563 living Americans carry the surname Lorenzo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,895 residents.
How common is Lorenzo?
Lorenzo ranks #1,873 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,804 people with the surname Lorenzo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,563), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Lorenzo.
Has Lorenzo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lorenzo went from 17,825 recorded bearers to 18,804. That is an increase of 979 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,024 to #1,873.
What does the Census say about the background of Lorenzo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorenzo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 68.7%. The next largest groups are White (17.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lorenzo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.7% (12,926 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lorenzo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (68.7%), White (17.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%). 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 Lorenzo (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 Lorenzo mean?
A patronymic surname of Spanish and Italian origin, derived from the given name Lorenzo, meaning "from Laurentum" or "crowned with laurel." 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 Lorenzo (6.29 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 are called Lorenzo?
See how many people have the surname Lorenzo on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.