2000
#4,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,437
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.76
Rare Last name
Lovato
Derived from the Italian word "lupo" meaning "wolf", likely referring to a fierce or brave person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,188 Americans carry the last name Lovato. That puts it at #4,281 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,305 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lovato 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
9.2K
1 in 37,305
Census rank
#4,281
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,012 bearers of the surname Lovato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4281st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lovato, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.1%. The next largest groups are White (18.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lovato
The surname Lovato originated in Italy and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "lupo," meaning wolf, and may have been given as a nickname to someone with wolf-like characteristics or associations. The earliest known spelling variations include Luvato, Luvati, and Lupato.
The Lovato name first appeared in historical records in the 13th century, with several families bearing the name living in the northern Italian regions of Veneto and Lombardy. One of the earliest documented instances is a record from 1289 mentioning a Jacopo Lovato, a nobleman from Verona.
In the 14th century, the Lovato family gained prominence in the Republic of Venice, with several members holding prominent positions in the city's government and military. Notably, Giorgio Lovato (1290-1356) served as a Venetian ambassador and military commander during the War of Chioggia against Genoa.
The Lovato name also has ties to the island of Murano, known for its renowned glassmaking tradition. The Lovato family was among the prominent glassmaking dynasties on the island, with their works being highly prized throughout Europe during the Renaissance period.
During the 16th century, the Lovato name spread to other parts of Italy, including the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. One notable figure from this era was Gian Domenico Lovato (1502-1572), a renowned painter and architect from Bologna.
In the 18th century, the Lovato family established itself in the Kingdom of Naples, where they were involved in various trades and professions. A prominent member was Antonio Lovato (1728-1804), a successful merchant and landowner from the city of Salerno.
As the Lovato name spread across Italy, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas through immigration. Some notable individuals with the Lovato surname include:
1. Giuseppe Lovato (1820-1892), an Italian architect and engineer known for his work on various churches and public buildings in Venice.
2. Enrico Lovato (1876-1956), an Italian-American sculptor and artist based in New York City, whose works can be found in various museums and public spaces.
3. Luigi Lovato (1902-1985), an Italian football player who played as a defender for several clubs in Italy during the 1920s and 1930s.
4. Maria Lovato (1923-2012), an Italian-American educator and community leader who played a significant role in promoting bilingual education in the United States.
5. Demetrio Lovato (1940-2011), a Mexican-American artist and printmaker known for his vibrant depictions of Chicano culture and life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lovato
Among Census respondents with the surname Lovato, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.1%. The next largest groups are White (18.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lovato 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 Lovato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino74.1% · 5,936
- White18.9% · 1,515
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.0% · 397
- Two or more races1.3% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 34
- Black or African American0.3% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lovato
Lovato 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
#4,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,293
+856 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 2.81
Rank movement Up 118 places
2020
#4,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,012
-281 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.68
Rank movement Up 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,407 | 7,437 | 2.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,289 | 8,293 | 2.81 | +856 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 118 places |
| 2020 | #4,281 | 8,012 | 2.68 | -281 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 8 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 Lovato 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 | #4,289 | #4,281 | 0.2% |
| Count | 8,293 | 8,012 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.81 | 2.68 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lovato bearers went from 8,293 to 8,012 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,289 to #4,281.
FAQ
Lovato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lovato?
Name Census estimates that about 9,188 living Americans carry the surname Lovato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,305 residents.
How common is Lovato?
Lovato ranks #4,281 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,012 people with the surname Lovato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Lovato.
Has Lovato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lovato went from 8,293 recorded bearers to 8,012. That is a decrease of 281 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,289 to #4,281.
What does the Census say about the background of Lovato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lovato, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 74.1%. The next largest groups are White (18.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (5.0%). 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 Lovato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.1% (5,936 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lovato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (74.1%), White (18.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.0%). 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 Lovato (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 Lovato mean?
Derived from the Italian word "lupo" meaning "wolf", likely referring to a fierce or brave person. 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 Lovato (2.68 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 have the last name Lovato?
You can see how many people have the surname Lovato on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.