2000
#7,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,842
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.42
Rare Last name
Mazzola
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 4,253 Americans carry the last name Mazzola. That puts it at #8,522 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,591 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mazzola 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
4.3K
1 in 80,591
Census rank
#8,522
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,709 bearers of the surname Mazzola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8522nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mazzola, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mazzola
The surname Mazzola has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of Lombardy and Piedmont. The name is derived from the Italian word "mazza" which means "club" or "mace". It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone who used a club or mace as a weapon or tool.
Mazzola is a relatively old surname, with records dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest documented instances of the name is found in the records of the city of Genoa in 1295, where a certain Guglielmo Mazzola is mentioned.
During the Middle Ages, the Mazzola family was present in several cities across northern Italy, including Milan, Turin, and Pavia. In the 14th century, a branch of the family settled in the town of Vigevano, in the province of Pavia, where they became prominent members of the local nobility.
One notable figure from this period was Girolamo Mazzola (1472-1518), an Italian painter and architect who was active in the city of Parma. He was a member of the School of Ferrara and is known for his works such as the frescoes in the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma.
Another prominent individual with the surname was Filippo Mazzola (1460-1505), an Italian Renaissance painter who was born in Parma. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the Parmesan School of painting.
In the 16th century, the Mazzola family also had a presence in the city of Genoa, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One member of the family, Giovanni Battista Mazzola (1536-1598), was a prominent merchant and shipowner.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Mazzola continued to be found across various regions of northern Italy, including Piedmont, Lombardy, and Liguria. Notable individuals from this period include Giuseppe Mazzola (1683-1756), an Italian painter from Turin, and Domenico Mazzola (1722-1790), a sculptor from Genoa.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the surname began to spread beyond Italy as members of the Mazzola family migrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One example is Juan Mazzola (1792-1865), a Spanish painter and engraver who was born in Cádiz, Spain, but whose family originated from Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mazzola
Among Census respondents with the surname Mazzola, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mazzola 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 Mazzola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 3,417
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 170
- Two or more races2.0% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 28
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mazzola
Mazzola 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
#8,485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,885
+43 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 503 places
2020
#8,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,709
-176 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,982 | 3,842 | 1.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,485 | 3,885 | 1.32 | +43 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 503 places |
| 2020 | #8,522 | 3,709 | 1.24 | -176 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 37 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 Mazzola 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 | #8,485 | #8,522 | -0.4% |
| Count | 3,885 | 3,709 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.24 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mazzola bearers went from 3,885 to 3,709 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,485 to #8,522.
FAQ
Mazzola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mazzola?
Name Census estimates that about 4,253 living Americans carry the surname Mazzola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,591 residents.
How common is Mazzola?
Mazzola ranks #8,522 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 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 3,709 people with the surname Mazzola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,253), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 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 Mazzola.
Has Mazzola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mazzola went from 3,885 recorded bearers to 3,709. That is a decrease of 176 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,485 to #8,522.
What does the Census say about the background of Mazzola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mazzola, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Mazzola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (3,417 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mazzola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Mazzola (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 Mazzola 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 Mazzola (1.24 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 have the surname Mazzola?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.