2000
#9,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,249
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Marcano
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Marcano, likely referring to someone from that location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,551 Americans carry the last name Marcano. That puts it at #6,703 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,746 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marcano 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
5.6K
1 in 61,746
Census rank
#6,703
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,841 bearers of the surname Marcano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6703rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marcano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and White (7.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marcano
The surname Marcano originates from Spain, specifically the Canary Islands, and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "Marcus," which was a common Roman name. The name may also be connected to the Spanish word "marcano," meaning "lowland" or "marsh," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname lived in or near marshy areas.
In the early 16th century, the Marcano surname appeared in historical records of the Canary Islands. One of the earliest documented instances was in a 1505 census of the island of Tenerife, where a family with the surname Marcano was listed as residents of the town of Garachico.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, many Canary Islanders migrated to the Caribbean and Latin America, including individuals with the surname Marcano. In 1514, a man named Juan Marcano was among the first Spanish settlers on the island of Puerto Rico.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Marcano surname was Diego Marcano, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1638 to 1643.
Another significant individual with the Marcano surname was José Marcano Valdivieso (1789-1854), a Venezuelan military leader and politician. He played a crucial role in the Venezuelan War of Independence and later served as the President of Venezuela from 1837 to 1839.
In the 19th century, Rafael María Marcano (1821-1893) was a prominent Venezuelan writer, historian, and diplomat. He authored several books on Venezuelan history and culture, including "Ethnography of the Venezuelan People" and "Journey to the Land of the Cumanagotos."
Another notable figure was Gaspar Marcano (1872-1933), a Venezuelan politician and lawyer. He served as the President of Venezuela from 1910 to 1913 and played a significant role in the country's political landscape during that period.
The surname Marcano is still prevalent in Spain, particularly in the Canary Islands, as well as in various Latin American countries, including Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, where individuals bearing this name have made notable contributions across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marcano
Among Census respondents with the surname Marcano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and White (7.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Marcano 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 Marcano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.2% · 4,029
- Black or African American7.8% · 380
- White7.2% · 350
- Two or more races0.8% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marcano
Marcano 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
#7,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,256
+1,007 bearers (+31.0%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Up 1,443 places
2020
#6,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,841
+585 bearers (+13.7%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Up 1,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,232 | 3,249 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,789 | 4,256 | 1.44 | +1,007 bearers (+31.0%) | Up 1,443 places |
| 2020 | #6,703 | 4,841 | 1.62 | +585 bearers (+13.7%) | Up 1,086 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 Marcano 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 | #7,789 | #6,703 | 13.9% |
| Count | 4,256 | 4,841 | 13.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.62 | 12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marcano bearers went from 4,256 to 4,841 (+13.7% change). The surname moved up 1,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,789 to #6,703.
FAQ
Marcano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marcano?
Name Census estimates that about 5,551 living Americans carry the surname Marcano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,746 residents.
How common is Marcano?
Marcano ranks #6,703 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,841 people with the surname Marcano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,551), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Marcano.
Has Marcano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marcano went from 4,256 recorded bearers to 4,841. That is an increase of 585 (+13.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,789 to #6,703.
What does the Census say about the background of Marcano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marcano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and White (7.2%). 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 Marcano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (4,029 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marcano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.2%), Black (7.8%), White (7.2%). 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 Marcano (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 Marcano mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the place name Marcano, likely referring to someone from that location. 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 Marcano (1.62 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 Marcano?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Marcano on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.