2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Molinario
From the Italian word "molino" meaning mill or miller, an occupational surname related to operating or owning a mill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Molinario. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Molinario 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Molinario in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Molinario, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Molinario
The surname Molinario originates from Italy, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Italian word "molinaro," which means "miller," referring to someone who operated a mill or worked with grain. The name likely originated in regions where flour mills were prevalent, such as the northern regions of Lombardy, Piedmont, and Veneto.
One of the earliest known references to the name Molinario can be found in a document from the city of Genoa, dated 1274. The document mentions a certain "Guglielmo Molinario," who was likely involved in the milling industry or resided near a mill.
In the 14th century, the name appears in several records from the city of Florence. A notable figure was Sandro Molinario (1325-1398), a wealthy merchant who owned several flour mills along the Arno River. His descendants continued to be influential in the city's economic affairs for generations.
During the Renaissance period, the Molinario family gained prominence in the Republic of Venice. One of the most illustrious members was Antonio Molinario (1470-1542), a renowned architect who contributed to the design of several iconic buildings in Venice, including the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.
In the 17th century, the name Molinario spread to other regions of Italy, including the island of Sicily. A notable figure from this period was Giulio Molinario (1612-1684), a Sicilian nobleman and landowner who owned several grain mills in the province of Palermo.
Another prominent individual bearing the surname Molinario was Francesco Molinario (1768-1842), a painter from the city of Naples. He was celebrated for his landscapes and religious works, which can be found in various churches and museums throughout southern Italy.
While the name Molinario has been present in Italy for centuries, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with strong Italian immigration, such as the United States, Canada, and Argentina.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Molinario
Among Census respondents with the surname Molinario, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Molinario 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 Molinario surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 6
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Molinario
Molinario 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
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-21 bearers (-17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,378 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-17.4%) | Down 17,378 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 Molinario 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 | #138,304 | #155,682 | -12.6% |
| Count | 121 | 100 | -17.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Molinario bearers went from 121 to 100 (-17.4% change). The surname moved down 17,378 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #155,682.
FAQ
Molinario surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Molinario?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Molinario. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Molinario?
Molinario ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Molinario. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Molinario.
Has Molinario become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Molinario went from 121 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 21 (-17.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Molinario?
Among Census respondents with the surname Molinario, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) 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 Molinario in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Molinario appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (6.0%), 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 Molinario (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 Molinario mean?
From the Italian word "molino" meaning mill or miller, an occupational surname related to operating or owning a mill. 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 Molinario (0.03 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 Molinario?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.