2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Martarano
From the Italian town of Martarano, indicating ancestral origins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Martarano. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Martarano 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Martarano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Martarano, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.2%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Martarano
The surname Martarano is of Italian origin, hailing from the southern regions of the country, particularly the areas around Naples and the Campania region. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "martaranus," which was used to refer to someone who lived near a marsh or swampy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Martarano can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Cava de' Tirreni region in Campania, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in several land records and legal documents from that era, suggesting that the family had established roots in the area during that time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Martarano was mentioned in the chronicles of the Kingdom of Naples. He was a respected jurist and advisor to King Robert of Anjou, who reigned from 1309 to 1343. Giovanni's legal expertise and counsel were highly valued by the royal court.
During the Renaissance period, the Martarano family gained prominence in the city of Naples. One member, Antonio Martarano (1450-1521), was a renowned humanist scholar and poet. His works, including a collection of Latin poetry, were widely circulated and admired throughout Italy.
In the 17th century, another prominent figure with the surname Martarano was Girolamo Martarano (1595-1672). He was a respected Catholic priest and theologian who served as the Bishop of Castellammare di Stabia, a town located near Naples. Girolamo was known for his extensive writings on theological matters and his contributions to the local church.
Towards the late 18th century, a notable military figure named Giuseppe Martarano (1760-1825) gained recognition for his service in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose through the ranks of the Neapolitan army and played a significant role in several battles against the French forces, earning him several honors and distinctions.
While the Martarano surname has its roots in southern Italy, over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have dispersed and established themselves in various regions of the country, as well as abroad. However, its origins can be traced back to the marshlands of Campania, where the family's ancestral lineage first took shape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Martarano
Among Census respondents with the surname Martarano, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.2%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Martarano 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 Martarano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 100
- Two or more races8.2% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Martarano
Martarano 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+14 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 3,117 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-23 bearers (-17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,197 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +14 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 3,117 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-17.3%) | Down 21,197 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 Martarano 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 | #128,249 | #149,446 | -16.5% |
| Count | 133 | 110 | -17.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -26.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Martarano bearers went from 133 to 110 (-17.3% change). The surname moved down 21,197 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #149,446.
FAQ
Martarano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Martarano?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Martarano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Martarano?
Martarano ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Martarano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Martarano.
Has Martarano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Martarano went from 133 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 23 (-17.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Martarano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Martarano, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.2%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Martarano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Martarano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Two or More Races (8.2%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Martarano (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 Martarano mean?
From the Italian town of Martarano, indicating ancestral origins. 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 Martarano (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 people are called Martarano?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Martarano, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.