2000
#12,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,196
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Martello
An occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a hammer maker or wielded a hammer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,195 Americans carry the last name Martello. That puts it at #14,862 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,152 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Martello 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
2.2K
1 in 156,152
Census rank
#14,862
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,914 bearers of the surname Martello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14862nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Martello, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Martello
The surname Martello originated in Italy during the medieval period, derived from the Italian word "martello," meaning "hammer." This name is believed to have been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked as a blacksmith or metalworker, using a hammer as their primary tool.
The earliest known record of the Martello surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Tuscany, where it was commonly found in cities like Florence and Siena. It's possible that the name also has roots in the Latin word "martellus," which has a similar meaning.
During the Renaissance era, the Martello family gained prominence in various Italian cities. One notable figure was Giovanni Martello, a prominent architect from Florence who lived in the 15th century and contributed to the design of several buildings in the city.
In the 16th century, the Martello surname made its way to other parts of Europe, particularly England and France, where it was anglicized and adapted to local spellings. One notable English bearer of the name was Peter Martello, a merchant and explorer who was active in the 17th century.
The Martello surname also gained recognition in the 18th century when the Martello tower, a type of defensive fortification, was named after its inventor, the Italian engineer Pietro Martello (1663-1720). These towers were built along the coasts of Britain and other countries to defend against potential invasions.
Another notable figure with the Martello surname was Pier Giacomo Martello (1665-1727), an Italian poet and satirist known for his contributions to the development of Italian literature during the Baroque period.
In the 19th century, the Martello name spread further across Europe and beyond, with bearers of the surname found in various countries, including Spain, Germany, and even as far as Australia and the United States.
Throughout history, the Martello surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, including metalworking, architecture, literature, and military engineering, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Martello
Among Census respondents with the surname Martello, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Martello 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 Martello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 1,717
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 133
- Two or more races2.0% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- Black or African American0.6% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Martello
Martello 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
#13,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,334
+138 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 282 places
2020
#14,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,914
-420 bearers (-18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 1,735 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,845 | 2,196 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,127 | 2,334 | 0.79 | +138 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 282 places |
| 2020 | #14,862 | 1,914 | 0.64 | -420 bearers (-18.0%) | Down 1,735 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 Martello 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 | #13,127 | #14,862 | -13.2% |
| Count | 2,334 | 1,914 | -18.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.64 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Martello bearers went from 2,334 to 1,914 (-18.0% change). The surname moved down 1,735 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,127 to #14,862.
FAQ
Martello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Martello?
Name Census estimates that about 2,195 living Americans carry the surname Martello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,152 residents.
How common is Martello?
Martello ranks #14,862 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,914 people with the surname Martello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,195), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Martello.
Has Martello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Martello went from 2,334 recorded bearers to 1,914. That is a decrease of 420 (-18.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,127 to #14,862.
What does the Census say about the background of Martello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Martello, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Martello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (1,717 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Martello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (6.9%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Martello (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 Martello mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who worked as a hammer maker or wielded a hammer. 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 Martello (0.64 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 have the surname Martello?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.