2000
#6,393
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,906
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.82
Rare Last name
Massaro
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who cuts large stones or works with marble.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,955 Americans carry the last name Massaro. That puts it at #7,433 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Massaro 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 Massaro with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 69,173
Census rank
#7,433
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,321 bearers of the surname Massaro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7433rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Massaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Massaro
The surname Massaro has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Sicily. It can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "massaro," which means a landowner or a tenant farmer.
In medieval times, the Massaro family held significant landholdings and played a prominent role in the agricultural sector. Some historical records indicate that members of the Massaro family were mentioned in various land ownership documents and property transactions during this period.
One of the earliest known references to the Massaro name can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Naples, where several individuals bearing this surname were listed as landowners and farmers.
As the surname spread across Italy, regional variations in spelling emerged, such as Massari, Massaro, and Massari. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and pronunciation differences.
Notable individuals with the surname Massaro include Pietro Massaro (1524-1598), a renowned Italian architect and sculptor who contributed to the design of several churches and palaces in Naples during the Renaissance period.
Another prominent figure was Giovanna Massaro (1606-1678), a Sicilian noblewoman and philanthropist who established several charitable institutions in Palermo to support the underprivileged.
In the 18th century, Antonio Massaro (1718-1792) was a respected Italian jurist and legal scholar who authored several influential works on civil law and served as a judge in the Kingdom of Naples.
Moving into the 19th century, Giuseppe Massaro (1820-1892) was an Italian painter and art educator from Naples, known for his landscape paintings and his contributions to the development of the Neapolitan School of Art.
In more recent history, Francesca Massaro (1975-) is an Italian professional tennis player who achieved notable success on the WTA Tour, winning several singles and doubles titles throughout her career.
The Massaro surname has a rich history deeply rooted in the agricultural traditions of Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania and Sicily. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name has endured and spread across various parts of the country, with individuals bearing this surname making significant contributions in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Massaro
Among Census respondents with the surname Massaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Massaro 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 Massaro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 3,885
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 278
- Two or more races2.1% · 91
- Black or African American0.7% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Massaro
Massaro 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
#6,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,089
+183 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.73
Rank movement Down 258 places
2020
#7,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,321
-768 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 782 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,393 | 4,906 | 1.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,651 | 5,089 | 1.73 | +183 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 258 places |
| 2020 | #7,433 | 4,321 | 1.45 | -768 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 782 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 Massaro 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 | #6,651 | #7,433 | -11.8% |
| Count | 5,089 | 4,321 | -15.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.73 | 1.45 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Massaro bearers went from 5,089 to 4,321 (-15.1% change). The surname moved down 782 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,651 to #7,433.
FAQ
Massaro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Massaro?
Name Census estimates that about 4,955 living Americans carry the surname Massaro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,173 residents.
How common is Massaro?
Massaro ranks #7,433 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.45 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 4,321 people with the surname Massaro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,955), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.45 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 Massaro.
Has Massaro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Massaro went from 5,089 recorded bearers to 4,321. That is a decrease of 768 (-15.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,651 to #7,433.
What does the Census say about the background of Massaro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Massaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. 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 Massaro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (3,885 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Massaro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), 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 Massaro (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 Massaro mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who cuts large stones or works with marble. 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 Massaro (1.45 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 Massaro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.