2010
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mesiano
A surname originating in Italy, possibly relating to someone from the town of Mesiano.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Mesiano. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mesiano 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Mesiano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mesiano, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mesiano
The surname Mesiano is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Italian word "messianum," which referred to a place or area where grain was harvested or stored. The name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived in or near such locations.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Mesiano can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. However, the exact context and details surrounding this mention are uncertain.
In the 11th century, a reference to a person named Guglielmo Mesiano appears in the chronicles of the Benedictine monastery of Montecassino, located in the region of Campania, Italy. This suggests that the surname was already established in that region during that time period.
During the 13th century, the name Mesiano was associated with a noble family from the town of Arezzo, in the province of Tuscany. This family played a prominent role in the local politics and affairs of the region. Notable members included Gherardo Mesiano, who served as a magistrate in Arezzo in the year 1256.
In the 14th century, a record exists of a friar named Niccolò Mesiano, who was a member of the Franciscan order and resided in the city of Florence. He was recognized for his scholarly work and contributions to theological literature.
Another notable figure with the surname Mesiano was Girolamo Mesiano, a 16th-century painter from the city of Verona. He was known for his religious-themed works and frescoes, some of which can still be found in churches and institutions in the Veneto region.
As the surname Mesiano spread throughout various regions of Italy over the centuries, it also took on different spellings and variations, such as Messiano, Messana, and Mesana, reflecting the local dialects and influences of different areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mesiano
Among Census respondents with the surname Mesiano, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mesiano 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 Mesiano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mesiano
Mesiano appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-21 bearers (-16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-16.5%) | Down 19,291 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 Mesiano 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 | #133,048 | #152,339 | -14.5% |
| Count | 127 | 106 | -16.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mesiano bearers went from 127 to 106 (-16.5% change). The surname moved down 19,291 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #152,339.
FAQ
Mesiano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mesiano?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Mesiano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Mesiano?
Mesiano ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Mesiano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Mesiano.
Has Mesiano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mesiano went from 127 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Mesiano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mesiano, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Mesiano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mesiano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.8%). 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 Mesiano (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 Mesiano mean?
A surname originating in Italy, possibly relating to someone from the town of Mesiano. 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 Mesiano (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 Mesiano?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.