2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Madama
Italian surname referring to an elevated or noble woman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Madama. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Madama 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Madama in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Madama, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Madama
The surname Madama originated in Italy, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "madama," which means "lady" or "madam." This title was commonly used to address women of noble or high social standing during that era.
In the early 14th century, the name Madama appeared in various documents and records from the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It is possible that the name was initially used as a descriptive term for someone associated with a noble household or employed in service to a lady of rank.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Madama was Giovanni di Madama, a merchant from Florence who lived in the late 13th century. Historical records indicate that he was involved in trade with other Italian city-states and neighboring regions.
In the 15th century, the Madama surname can be found in the town of Castelvetro di Modena, where the Madama family held land and properties. Notably, Bartolomeo Madama, born in 1452, was a renowned architect and sculptor who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in Modena and other cities in northern Italy.
Another prominent individual with the Madama surname was Gian Battista Madama, a 16th-century military commander and diplomat from Parma. He served under the Farnese dukes and was involved in various diplomatic missions and military campaigns throughout the Italian peninsula.
During the Renaissance period, the Madama family in Florence produced several notable artists and intellectuals. One such figure was Lorenzo Madama, a painter and fresco artist active in the late 15th century, who contributed to the decoration of churches and palaces in Florence and its surroundings.
In the 17th century, the Madama surname can be found in the town of Montalcino, in the region of Tuscany, where a branch of the family owned vineyards and produced renowned wines. Girolamo Madama, born in 1623, was a respected winemaker and merchant who contributed to the region's wine trade.
Over the centuries, the Madama surname has spread beyond Italy, with descendants settling in various parts of Europe and the Americas. However, its origins can be traced back to the rich cultural and historical heritage of medieval and Renaissance Italy, where the name was closely associated with nobility, art, and influential figures of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Madama
Among Census respondents with the surname Madama, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Madama 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 Madama surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 94
- Black or African American3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Madama
Madama 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-26 bearers (-19.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,298 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-19.5%) | Down 32,298 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 361 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 Madama 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 | #152,628 | #152,989 | -0.2% |
| Count | 107 | 105 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Madama bearers went from 107 to 105 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 361 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #152,989.
FAQ
Madama surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Madama?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Madama. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Madama?
Madama ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Madama. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Madama.
Has Madama become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Madama went from 107 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Madama?
Among Census respondents with the surname Madama, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Madama in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Madama appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Black (3.8%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Madama (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 Madama mean?
Italian surname referring to an elevated or noble woman. 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 Madama (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 common is the surname Madama?
You can see how common the surname Madama is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.