Find out how popular the last name Matarazzo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Matarazzo.

Matarazzo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Matarazzo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Matarazzo in America

Matarazzo is the 18411th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Matarazzo surname appeared 1,504 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Matarazzo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Matarazzo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Matarazzo

The surname Matarazzo originated in Italy, specifically from the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. The name is derived from the Italian word "matarazzo," which means "mattress maker" or "maker of mattresses." This occupational surname is believed to have first emerged in the 12th or 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Matarazzo can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of documents from the city of Bari, dating back to the year 1204. In these records, a person named Jacobus Matarazzo is mentioned, indicating the presence of the surname in the region during that time.

The Matarazzo surname has also been documented in various other historical records, such as the Rationes Decimarum Italiae, a tax record from the late 13th century. This suggests that the Matarazzo family was established and involved in the mattress-making trade during the medieval period.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Niccolò Matarazzo (born around 1435) lived in the city of Perugia. He was a prominent merchant and author who wrote a chronicle known as the "Cronaca di Niccolò Matarazzo," which provides valuable insights into the social and political life of Perugia during the Renaissance.

Another prominent individual with the Matarazzo surname was Francesco Matarazzo (1443-1518), a renowned Italian architect and sculptor from Siena. He was responsible for designing and constructing several significant buildings, including the Palazzo Piccolomini in Pienza.

During the 16th century, the Matarazzo family established themselves in the Kingdom of Naples, where they became involved in various commercial and banking activities. One notable member was Girolamo Matarazzo (1520-1585), a wealthy banker and merchant who played a crucial role in the economic affairs of the region.

In the 19th century, the Matarazzo surname gained prominence in Brazil, where several members of the family emigrated and established successful businesses. One of the most notable figures was Francesco Matarazzo (1854-1937), an Italian-Brazilian industrialist who founded the Matarazzo Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Latin America at the time.

As the surname Matarazzo spread across various regions and countries, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Mataraso, Matarazi, and Matarazi. However, the core meaning and origin remained tied to the occupation of mattress-making, reflecting the historical roots of this Italian surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Matarazzo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Matarazzo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Matarazzo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Matarazzo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Matarazzo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Matarazzo, please contact us.

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