2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Masto
A surname derived from the Greek word "mastos" meaning breast or nipple.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Masto. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Masto 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Masto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Masto, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Masto
The surname "Masto" is of Italian origin, originating in the northern regions of the country, specifically in the regions of Lombardy and Piedmont. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "mast," which means "mast" or "pole," referring to a tall, upright structure used to support sails on ships.
The earliest known record of the surname "Masto" dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various medieval documents and records from the cities of Milan and Turin. These records often referred to individuals involved in maritime trades or occupations related to shipbuilding, which could explain the connection to the word "mast."
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the surname "Masto" was Giovanni Masto, a shipbuilder and merchant from Genoa, who lived in the late 13th century. Records indicate that he was commissioned by the Republic of Genoa to construct several galleys for the city's naval fleet.
In the 14th century, the name "Masto" appeared in the Estimo, a tax record from the city of Venice. This document listed several families with the surname, suggesting that the name had spread to other parts of northern Italy by this time.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure with the surname "Masto" was Andrea Masto, a renowned architect and engineer from Milan. Born in 1490, he was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of several prominent buildings and structures in the city, including the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Castello Sforzesco.
Another individual of note was Pietro Masto, a Genoese navigator and explorer who lived in the late 15th century. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore the coast of West Africa and establish trade routes with the local populations.
In the 17th century, the surname "Masto" appeared in records from the city of Turin, where a family of merchants and bankers bearing the name had established themselves. One of the most prominent members of this family was Giacomo Masto, who served as a financial advisor to the House of Savoy, the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
As the centuries passed, the surname "Masto" spread to other regions of Italy and beyond, carried by individuals who migrated or settled in different parts of the world. While the name may have evolved in spelling or pronunciation over time, its roots can be traced back to the maritime and trade-related origins of northern Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Masto
Among Census respondents with the surname Masto, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Masto 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 Masto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 101
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Masto
Masto 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,012 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,815 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 14,012 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Up 5,815 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 Masto 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 | #153,769 | #147,954 | 3.8% |
| Count | 106 | 112 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Masto bearers went from 106 to 112 (+5.7% change). The surname moved up 5,815 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #147,954.
FAQ
Masto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Masto?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Masto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Masto?
Masto ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Masto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Masto.
Has Masto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Masto went from 106 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 6 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Masto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Masto, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Masto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Masto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Masto (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 Masto mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word "mastos" meaning breast or nipple. 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 Masto (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 share the surname Masto?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.