2000
#11,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,580
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Morabito
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who lived near or worked at a hermitage or monastery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,623 Americans carry the last name Morabito. That puts it at #12,861 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,673 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morabito 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
2.6K
1 in 130,673
Census rank
#12,861
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,287 bearers of the surname Morabito in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12861st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morabito, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morabito
The surname Morabito has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Calabria and Sicily. It is derived from the Italian word "moro," meaning "Moor" or "dark-skinned person," and "abito," meaning "habitation." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near or in a place inhabited by Moors or people of North African descent.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Morabito can be traced back to the 11th century in southern Italy. During this time, the region was under the influence of various cultures, including the Normans, Arabs, and Greeks, which likely contributed to the development of the surname.
In the 13th century, the Morabito family was mentioned in a document from the town of Reggio Calabria, indicating their presence in the area. Some historical records also suggest that members of the Morabito family held positions of influence and power during this period.
One notable Morabito was Giovanni Morabito (1420-1498), a renowned philosopher and theologian from Messina, Sicily. He was known for his work on the reconciliation of Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology.
Another prominent figure was Stefano Morabito (1548-1623), a Sicilian architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Palermo, including the Church of San Giuseppe dei Teatini.
In the 17th century, Vincenzo Morabito (1620-1689) was a respected jurist and legal scholar from Reggio Calabria. He authored several influential works on Italian law and served as a judge in the city's court system.
Domenico Morabito (1735-1809) was a Calabrian painter known for his religious works and portraiture. His art can be found in numerous churches and galleries throughout southern Italy.
During the 19th century, Giuseppe Morabito (1820-1892) was a prominent Italian writer and journalist from Calabria. He was a passionate advocate for social reform and wrote extensively on issues related to education and poverty.
While the surname Morabito is predominantly found in Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to emigration. However, the historical roots of the name can be traced back to the regions of Calabria and Sicily, where it has left a lasting impact on the culture and heritage of these areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morabito
Among Census respondents with the surname Morabito, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Morabito 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 Morabito surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,098
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 115
- Two or more races2.1% · 49
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morabito
Morabito 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
#11,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,678
+98 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 454 places
2020
#12,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,287
-391 bearers (-14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 1,157 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,250 | 2,580 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,704 | 2,678 | 0.91 | +98 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 454 places |
| 2020 | #12,861 | 2,287 | 0.77 | -391 bearers (-14.6%) | Down 1,157 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 Morabito 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 | #11,704 | #12,861 | -9.9% |
| Count | 2,678 | 2,287 | -14.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.77 | -15.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morabito bearers went from 2,678 to 2,287 (-14.6% change). The surname moved down 1,157 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,704 to #12,861.
FAQ
Morabito surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morabito?
Name Census estimates that about 2,623 living Americans carry the surname Morabito. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,673 residents.
How common is Morabito?
Morabito ranks #12,861 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,287 people with the surname Morabito. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,623), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Morabito.
Has Morabito become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morabito went from 2,678 recorded bearers to 2,287. That is a decrease of 391 (-14.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,704 to #12,861.
What does the Census say about the background of Morabito?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morabito, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Morabito in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,098 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morabito appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Morabito (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 Morabito mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who lived near or worked at a hermitage or monastery. 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 Morabito (0.77 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 last name Morabito?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Morabito on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.