2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Menzo
An Italian surname originating from the given name Menzo or Menzio.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Menzo. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Menzo 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Menzo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Menzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Menzo
The surname Menzo originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin name Menius, which was a Roman family name. The name Menius is thought to have originated from the Latin word "mensis," meaning "month."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Menzo can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of medieval documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. In this collection, there is a reference to a nobleman named "Menzo de Brescia," indicating that the name was present in the Brescia region of northern Italy during that time.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Menzo was particularly prevalent in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, where it was associated with several noble families. One notable figure was Menzo Guidi, a prominent lawyer and judge from Vicenza in the 13th century, who played a significant role in the development of legal systems in the region.
In the 14th century, a branch of the Menzo family settled in the city of Venice, where they became influential merchants and bankers. One of the most renowned members of this branch was Marco Menzo, a wealthy trader and financier who lived from 1320 to 1395. He was instrumental in establishing Venice's trading networks with the Byzantine Empire and the Middle East.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Menzo was Giovanni Battista Menzo, a renowned architect and engineer from Bergamo who lived from 1568 to 1638. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings, including the Church of San Bartolomeo in Bergamo and the Palazzo Menzo, a grand Renaissance-style palace that still stands in the city today.
In the 17th century, the Menzo family expanded their influence to other parts of Italy, with members settling in cities such as Milan and Naples. One prominent figure from this period was Antonio Menzo, a respected lawyer and legal scholar who lived from 1620 to 1692. He authored several influential works on legal theory and jurisprudence, which were widely studied throughout Europe.
While the surname Menzo has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the medieval and Renaissance periods of Italian history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Menzo
Among Census respondents with the surname Menzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Menzo 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 Menzo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino16.4% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Menzo
Menzo 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+9 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 103 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,319 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.8%) | Down 103 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 3,319 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 Menzo 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 | #148,347 | #145,028 | 2.2% |
| Count | 111 | 116 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Menzo bearers went from 111 to 116 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 3,319 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #145,028.
FAQ
Menzo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Menzo?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Menzo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Menzo?
Menzo ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Menzo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Menzo.
Has Menzo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Menzo went from 111 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Menzo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Menzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Menzo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Menzo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Hispanic (16.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Menzo (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 Menzo mean?
An Italian surname originating from the given name Menzo or Menzio. 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 Menzo (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 are called Menzo?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Menzo is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.