2000
#6,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.91
Rare Last name
Milano
An Italian toponymic surname referring to someone from the city of Milan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,749 Americans carry the last name Milano. That puts it at #6,509 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,620 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Milano 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Milano with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.7K
1 in 59,620
Census rank
#6,509
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,013 bearers of the surname Milano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6509th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Milano, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Milano
The surname Milano originates from Italy and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian city of Milan, which was known as Mediolanum in Latin. The name likely referred to someone who hailed from or had some connection to the city of Milan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Milano can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of documents related to the Benedictine abbey of Cava de' Tirreni in southern Italy, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in several documents from the 12th and 13th centuries, indicating its use in medieval Italy.
In the 14th century, the name Milano appears in the records of the Republic of Venice, where a notable figure named Nicolò Milano served as a diplomat and merchant. He was involved in various diplomatic missions and trade negotiations between Venice and other Italian city-states.
During the Renaissance period, the surname Milano gained prominence with the birth of the renowned artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, often simply referred to as Caravaggio (1571-1610). He was one of the most influential painters of the Baroque era and is renowned for his masterful use of chiaroscuro and dramatic lighting.
Another notable figure with the surname Milano was the Italian playwright and poet Carlo Maria Milano (1619-1677). He was a member of the Accademia dell'Arcadia, a literary academy in Rome, and wrote several plays and poems that were influential in the development of Italian theater and literature.
In the 18th century, the composer and violinist Michele Milano (1688-1770) made significant contributions to the Italian musical tradition. He was a virtuoso violinist and composed numerous concertos and chamber works that were widely performed throughout Europe.
In more recent history, the surname Milano has continued to be associated with notable figures in various fields, such as the Italian-American actor and comedian Alyssa Milano (born 1972), best known for her roles in television series like "Who's the Boss?" and "Charmed."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Milano
Among Census respondents with the surname Milano, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Milano 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 Milano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 4,244
- Hispanic or Latino10.1% · 506
- Two or more races2.4% · 119
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 96
- Black or African American0.7% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Milano
Milano 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
#6,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,609
+459 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.90
Rank movement Up 16 places
2020
#6,509
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,013
-596 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 394 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,131 | 5,150 | 1.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,115 | 5,609 | 1.90 | +459 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 16 places |
| 2020 | #6,509 | 5,013 | 1.68 | -596 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 394 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 Milano 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 | #6,115 | #6,509 | -6.4% |
| Count | 5,609 | 5,013 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.90 | 1.68 | -11.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Milano bearers went from 5,609 to 5,013 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 394 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,115 to #6,509.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Milano
FAQ
Milano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Milano?
Name Census estimates that about 5,749 living Americans carry the surname Milano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,620 residents.
How common is Milano?
Milano ranks #6,509 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,013 people with the surname Milano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,749), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Milano.
Has Milano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Milano went from 5,609 recorded bearers to 5,013. That is a decrease of 596 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,115 to #6,509.
What does the Census say about the background of Milano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Milano, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Milano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (4,244 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Milano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Hispanic (10.1%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Milano (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 Milano mean?
An Italian toponymic surname referring to someone from the city of Milan. 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 Milano (1.68 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 Milano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.