2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Maniace
A surname potentially derived from the Greek word "maniac," meaning insane or frantic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Maniace. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maniace 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Maniace in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maniace, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maniace
The surname Maniace has its origins in Sicily, Italy, and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "maniacos," which means "raving" or "mad," possibly referring to a fierce or courageous warrior.
In the early 11th century, a Norman mercenary named George Maniaces or Maniakis rose to prominence as a skilled military commander in the Byzantine Empire. He was known for his successful campaigns against the Arabs in Sicily and southern Italy, earning him the nickname "Maniaces" or "the Madman." This historical figure may have contributed to the origin of the surname.
The name Maniace appears in several medieval records and manuscripts, including the Liber Monialium, a 12th-century document from the Monastery of Santa Maria in Maniaci, Sicily. This monastery was likely named after the Maniace family, who were influential in the region during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Maniace is found in the 13th century, when a nobleman named Riccardo Maniace was mentioned in a document from the city of Messina, Sicily. Other early spellings of the name include Maniacha, Maniachi, and Maniacchi.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Maniace. These include:
1. Guglielmo Maniace (c. 1260 - 1335), a Sicilian nobleman and military leader who fought against the Angevins during the War of the Sicilian Vespers.
2. Tommaso Maniace (c. 1400 - 1470), a Sicilian architect and engineer who designed several important buildings in Palermo and other cities in Sicily.
3. Antonino Maniace (1525 - 1602), a Sicilian poet and playwright known for his works in the Sicilian language.
4. Giovanni Maniace (1675 - 1741), a Sicilian painter and fresco artist who worked in various churches and palaces throughout Sicily.
5. Vincenzo Maniace (1788 - 1858), a Sicilian politician and advocate for Sicilian independence during the Revolutions of 1848.
While the surname Maniace is most commonly associated with Sicily, it has also been found in other parts of Italy and among Italian-American communities, reflecting the migration patterns of families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maniace
Among Census respondents with the surname Maniace, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Maniace 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 Maniace surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maniace
Maniace 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,849 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,849 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 59 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 Maniace 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 | #142,108 | #142,049 | 0.0% |
| Count | 117 | 120 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maniace bearers went from 117 to 120 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #142,049.
FAQ
Maniace surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maniace?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Maniace. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Maniace?
Maniace ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Maniace. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Maniace.
Has Maniace become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maniace went from 117 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Maniace?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maniace, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Maniace in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maniace appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Maniace (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 Maniace mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Greek word "maniac," meaning insane or frantic. 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 Maniace (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 Maniace?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.