2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Macellaro
An occupational surname referring to a butcher or meat trader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Macellaro. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macellaro 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Macellaro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macellaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macellaro
The surname MACELLARO originates from Italy, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian word "macellaio," which means "butcher" or "meat merchant." The name likely originated from the occupation of the family's ancestors, who were involved in the trade of meat or worked as butchers.
In medieval Italy, surnames often emerged from occupations, and the MACELLARO name was no exception. It is believed that the name first appeared in the regions of Campania and Calabria, where the meat trade was particularly prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MACELLARO name can be found in a document from the town of Capua, near Naples, in the year 1187. The document mentions a certain "Giovanni Macellaro," who was likely a butcher or meat merchant in the town.
During the Renaissance period, the MACELLARO name gained prominence in various Italian cities. In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Pietro MACELLARO, a respected butcher and merchant from Florence. He was known for his involvement in the city's guilds and trade associations.
In the 16th century, the name appears in several historical records from the Kingdom of Naples. One significant figure was Niccolò MACELLARO, a wealthy landowner and cattle rancher from the town of Avellino, who lived between 1520 and 1598.
Another noteworthy individual with the MACELLARO surname was Girolamo MACELLARO, a 17th-century scholar and author from the city of Salerno. He wrote extensively on topics related to agriculture, animal husbandry, and the meat trade.
In the 18th century, the MACELLARO name gained recognition in the arts. Antonio MACELLARO, born in Naples in 1742, was a celebrated painter known for his religious and mythological works. His paintings can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.
As the centuries progressed, the MACELLARO name spread to other regions of Italy and beyond, with members of the family pursuing diverse professions and contributing to various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macellaro
Among Census respondents with the surname Macellaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Macellaro 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 Macellaro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macellaro
Macellaro appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 362 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 Macellaro 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 | #143,149 | #143,511 | -0.3% |
| Count | 116 | 118 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macellaro bearers went from 116 to 118 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 362 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #143,511.
FAQ
Macellaro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macellaro?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Macellaro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Macellaro?
Macellaro ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Macellaro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Macellaro.
Has Macellaro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macellaro went from 116 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Macellaro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macellaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Macellaro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macellaro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (4.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Macellaro (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 Macellaro mean?
An occupational surname referring to a butcher or meat trader. 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 Macellaro (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Macellaro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.