2000
#33,471
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 643
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Mascolo
An Italian surname derived from the word "maschera" meaning mask or mascarade.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 912 Americans carry the last name Mascolo. That puts it at #31,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 375,827 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mascolo 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
912
1 in 375,827
Census rank
#31,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
795
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 795 bearers of the surname Mascolo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mascolo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mascolo
The surname MASCOLO is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the southern regions of Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania and Basilicata. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries.
The name MASCOLO is derived from the Italian word "mascolo," which means "male" or "masculine." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname or a reference to a person's physical characteristics or demeanor.
While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in early medieval manuscripts or chronicles, its presence can be found in various historical documents from the 14th century onwards. For instance, the name MASCOLO is mentioned in records from the town of Vietri sul Mare in the province of Salerno, dating back to the late 1300s.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname MASCOLO was Giovanni Mascolo, who lived in the town of Ravello, near Amalfi, in the late 15th century (approximately 1470-1530). Another notable figure was Antonio Mascolo, a renowned sculptor from the city of Naples, who was active in the early 17th century (c. 1590-1660).
In the 18th century, the name MASCOLO gained prominence through the works of Domenico Mascolo, a celebrated painter and fresco artist from the town of Avellino (1691-1770). His artistic contributions adorned many churches and palaces throughout the region.
During the 19th century, Gaetano Mascolo (1815-1892), a prominent lawyer and political figure from the town of Potenza, played a significant role in the Risorgimento movement, the struggle for Italian unification and independence.
Another notable individual was Raffaele Mascolo (1866-1944), a renowned linguist and philologist from the city of Naples. He made significant contributions to the study of Italian dialects and the preservation of linguistic heritage.
Throughout history, the surname MASCOLO has been associated with various professions, including artisans, intellectuals, and members of the clergy. While the name has maintained its roots in southern Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the country and beyond, with descendants of the MASCOLO family now found in various regions and countries around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mascolo
Among Census respondents with the surname Mascolo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mascolo 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 Mascolo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 716
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 51
- Two or more races2.1% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 7
- Black or African American0.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mascolo
Mascolo 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
#30,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 775
+132 bearers (+20.5%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 3,249 places
2020
#31,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 795
+20 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 1,017 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,471 | 643 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,222 | 775 | 0.26 | +132 bearers (+20.5%) | Up 3,249 places |
| 2020 | #31,239 | 795 | 0.27 | +20 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 1,017 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 Mascolo 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 | #30,222 | #31,239 | -3.4% |
| Count | 775 | 795 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.26 | 0.27 | 2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mascolo bearers went from 775 to 795 (+2.6% change). The surname moved down 1,017 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,222 to #31,239.
FAQ
Mascolo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mascolo?
Name Census estimates that about 912 living Americans carry the surname Mascolo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 375,827 residents.
How common is Mascolo?
Mascolo ranks #31,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 795 people with the surname Mascolo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (912), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Mascolo.
Has Mascolo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mascolo went from 775 recorded bearers to 795. That is an increase of 20 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #30,222 to #31,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Mascolo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mascolo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Mascolo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (716 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mascolo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Mascolo (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 Mascolo mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "maschera" meaning mask or mascarade. 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 Mascolo (0.27 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 share the surname Mascolo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.