2000
#4,576
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.64
Uncommon Last name
Mariano
Derived from the Roman name Marianus, which originated from the name Marius, meaning "of the sea" or "male."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,284 Americans carry the last name Mariano. That puts it at #3,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,329 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mariano 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mariano with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,329
Census rank
#3,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,968 bearers of the surname Mariano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mariano, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 34.8%. The next largest groups are White (33.9%) and Hispanic (21.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mariano
The surname Mariano originated in Italy, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Latin name "Marianus," which itself comes from the Roman name "Marius." Marius was a common name in ancient Rome, and it may have originated from the word "mas," meaning "male" or "masculine."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mariano can be found in a document from the city of Siena, dated 1276. This document mentions a certain "Guido Mariano," who was a local landowner. Another early reference is found in a census record from Florence in 1321, which lists several families with the surname Mariano living in the city at that time.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Mariano was particularly prevalent in central and southern Italy, with concentrations in regions such as Lazio, Campania, and Puglia. It is possible that the name was adopted by some families as a reference to their devotion to the Virgin Mary, as "Mariano" can also be interpreted as "of Mary."
One notable bearer of the surname Mariano was Raffaele Mariano, a 16th-century Italian sculptor and architect who worked primarily in Naples. He was born in 1505 and is credited with designing several churches and palaces in the city, including the Church of San Gregorio Armeno.
Another prominent figure was Giovanni Battista Mariano, an Italian historian and philosopher who lived in the 17th century. Born in 1594 in Naples, he wrote extensively on topics ranging from theology to geography, and his works were widely read throughout Europe during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Mariano was a celebrated Italian composer and conductor. He was born in 1824 in Palermo, Sicily, and is best known for his operas and orchestral works, which were influenced by the Romantic musical traditions of the time.
Elsewhere in Europe, the surname Mariano has also been documented in Spain, where it likely originated as a variant of the Spanish name "Mariano." In the 16th century, there is a record of a certain Juan Mariano, who was a painter and engraver active in Valencia.
While the surname Mariano is most strongly associated with Italy, it has since spread to various parts of the world through immigration and migration patterns. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in the Italian peninsula, where it emerged as a distinct surname with its own rich history and lineage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mariano
Among Census respondents with the surname Mariano, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 34.8%. The next largest groups are White (33.9%) and Hispanic (21.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mariano 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 Mariano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander34.8% · 3,124
- White33.9% · 3,042
- Hispanic or Latino21.7% · 1,943
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.2% · 373
- Two or more races3.3% · 300
- Black or African American2.1% · 186
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mariano
Mariano 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
#3,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,091
+1,980 bearers (+27.8%)
Per 100,000 3.08
Rank movement Up 672 places
2020
#3,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,968
-123 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 3.00
Rank movement Up 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,576 | 7,111 | 2.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,904 | 9,091 | 3.08 | +1,980 bearers (+27.8%) | Up 672 places |
| 2020 | #3,854 | 8,968 | 3.00 | -123 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 50 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 Mariano 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 | #3,904 | #3,854 | 1.3% |
| Count | 9,091 | 8,968 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.08 | 3.00 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mariano bearers went from 9,091 to 8,968 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,904 to #3,854.
FAQ
Mariano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mariano?
Name Census estimates that about 10,284 living Americans carry the surname Mariano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,329 residents.
How common is Mariano?
Mariano ranks #3,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.00 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 8,968 people with the surname Mariano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,284), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.00 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 Mariano.
Has Mariano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mariano went from 9,091 recorded bearers to 8,968. That is a decrease of 123 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,904 to #3,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Mariano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mariano, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 34.8%. The next largest groups are White (33.9%) and Hispanic (21.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mariano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 34.8% (3,124 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mariano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (34.8%), White (33.9%), Hispanic (21.7%). 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 Mariano (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 Mariano mean?
Derived from the Roman name Marianus, which originated from the name Marius, meaning "of the sea" or "male." 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 Mariano (3.00 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 Mariano?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Mariano on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.