2000
#12,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,254
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Mazzeo
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who makes or sells maces or clubs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,549 Americans carry the last name Mazzeo. That puts it at #13,176 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,466 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mazzeo 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
2.5K
1 in 134,466
Census rank
#13,176
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,223 bearers of the surname Mazzeo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13176th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mazzeo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mazzeo
The surname Mazzeo has its origins in Italy, particularly in the southern regions such as Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
Mazzeo is derived from the Italian word "mazza," which originally meant a club, mace, or staff. It was commonly used as a nickname for someone who carried such a weapon or had a strong, robust appearance. The suffix "-eo" is a common Italian patronymic, indicating familial or ancestral descent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mazzeo can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Benedictine monastery of Cava de' Tirreni in Campania, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Maczeo," "Macczeo," and "Mazzio."
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Mazzeo di Ricco was a prominent Ghibelline leader and military commander from Genoa. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, supporting the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II.
During the Renaissance period, Mazzeo Belverte (c. 1490-1570) was an Italian architect and engineer from Naples. He is known for his contributions to the design and construction of various fortifications and defensive structures in the Kingdom of Naples.
Another notable figure was Mazzeo Riccio (c. 1504-1572), an Italian goldsmith and sculptor from Pavia. He was renowned for his exquisite metalwork and sculptures, many of which can be found in various churches and museums across Italy.
In the 18th century, Mazzeo Santucci (1727-1801) was an Italian painter from Calabria. He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes, which adorned many churches in southern Italy.
Moving into the 19th century, Mazzeo Carafa (1805-1875) was an Italian politician and nobleman from Naples. He served as a member of the Neapolitan parliament and was actively involved in the Italian unification movement.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who carried the surname Mazzeo throughout history, reflecting its deep roots and prevalence in various regions of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mazzeo
Among Census respondents with the surname Mazzeo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mazzeo 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 Mazzeo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 1,992
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 167
- Two or more races1.8% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 18
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mazzeo
Mazzeo 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
#13,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,284
+30 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 747 places
2020
#13,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,223
-61 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 173 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,602 | 2,254 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,349 | 2,284 | 0.77 | +30 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 747 places |
| 2020 | #13,176 | 2,223 | 0.74 | -61 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 173 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 Mazzeo 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 | #13,349 | #13,176 | 1.3% |
| Count | 2,284 | 2,223 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.74 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mazzeo bearers went from 2,284 to 2,223 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 173 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,349 to #13,176.
FAQ
Mazzeo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mazzeo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,549 living Americans carry the surname Mazzeo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,466 residents.
How common is Mazzeo?
Mazzeo ranks #13,176 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,223 people with the surname Mazzeo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,549), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Mazzeo.
Has Mazzeo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mazzeo went from 2,284 recorded bearers to 2,223. That is a decrease of 61 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,349 to #13,176.
What does the Census say about the background of Mazzeo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mazzeo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Mazzeo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (1,992 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mazzeo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (7.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Mazzeo (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 Mazzeo mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who makes or sells maces or clubs. 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 Mazzeo (0.74 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 Americans have the surname Mazzeo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.