2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Martorello
Italian surname meaning "little hammer," derived from a nickname for a smith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Martorello. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Martorello 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Martorello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Martorello, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Martorello
The surname Martorello originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is a locational name derived from the Italian town of Martorella, located in the province of Messina, Sicily. The name likely stems from the Latin word "martulus," meaning "little hammer," which may have referred to a hammer-maker or blacksmith residing in that area.
Martorello can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being a certain Rinaldo Martorello, mentioned in a document from the town of Roccalumera, near Messina, dated 1287. Another early reference is found in the census records of Palermo in 1324, where a family with the surname Martorello is listed among the city's residents.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Antonio Martorello, a nobleman and landowner from the town of Mistretta in Sicily. He is mentioned in several local records from the years 1460 to 1478, detailing his land holdings and legal transactions.
During the 16th century, the name Martorello began to spread to other parts of Italy, particularly to the neighboring region of Calabria. One of the earliest recorded instances in Calabria is that of Girolamo Martorello, a merchant from the city of Reggio Calabria, who is mentioned in a trade document from 1527.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with this surname was Domenico Martorello, a Catholic priest and scholar born in Palermo, Sicily, in 1612. He authored several religious texts and served as a professor of theology at the University of Palermo until his death in 1685.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Giuseppe Martorello, a lawyer and politician from Messina, Sicily, who lived from 1738 to 1812. He held various important positions in the local government and was known for his efforts in promoting education and legal reforms in the region.
Throughout history, the surname Martorello has maintained its strong ties to the regions of Sicily and Calabria, with many variations in spelling, such as Marturello, Martorano, and Martorella, emerging over time. Despite its relatively localized origins, the name has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of these Italian regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Martorello
Among Census respondents with the surname Martorello, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Martorello 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 Martorello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 13
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Martorello
Martorello 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+7 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 2,656 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-16 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,023 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +7 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 2,656 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 16,023 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 Martorello 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 | #126,765 | #142,788 | -12.6% |
| Count | 135 | 119 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Martorello bearers went from 135 to 119 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 16,023 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #142,788.
FAQ
Martorello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Martorello?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Martorello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Martorello?
Martorello ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Martorello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Martorello.
Has Martorello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Martorello went from 135 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Martorello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Martorello, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Martorello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Martorello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Hispanic (10.9%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Martorello (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 Martorello mean?
Italian surname meaning "little hammer," derived from a nickname for a smith. 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 Martorello (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 Martorello?
If you just want to know how common the surname Martorello is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.