2000
#8,959
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,356
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Morano
Derived from the Italian place name Morano, likely referring to someone from that town or region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,765 Americans carry the last name Morano. That puts it at #9,476 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,037 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morano 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
3.8K
1 in 91,037
Census rank
#9,476
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,283 bearers of the surname Morano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9476th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morano, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morano
The surname Morano is of Italian origin, specifically from the region of Campania in southern Italy. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "morus," meaning mulberry tree, suggesting that the name may have originated from a person who lived near or was associated with mulberry trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Morano can be found in a document from the 13th century, where a certain Nicola Morano was mentioned as a landowner in the town of Capua, near Naples. This suggests that the name had already been established in the area by that time.
During the Renaissance period, the name Morano gained prominence through the works of several notable individuals. One such figure was Antonio Morano, a renowned painter from Naples who lived between 1480 and 1558. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy, including the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples.
In the 17th century, the name Morano was associated with a noble family from the town of Salerno. The Morano family played an influential role in the political and cultural life of the region during this time. One notable member was Giambattista Morano (1628-1702), a lawyer and philosopher who wrote extensively on legal and ethical issues.
Another prominent figure with the surname Morano was Giuseppe Morano (1770-1836), an Italian composer and music teacher from Naples. He composed several operas and other musical works, and his influence extended beyond Italy, as some of his students went on to become renowned musicians in their own right.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the name Morano gained international recognition through the efforts of Giacomo Morano (1844-1912), an Italian businessman and philanthropist. He immigrated to the United States and established a successful trading company in New York City, which facilitated the import and export of goods between Italy and America.
Throughout history, the surname Morano has been associated with various place names in Italy, such as Morano Calabro, a town in the province of Cosenza, and Morano sul Po, a municipality in the province of Alessandria. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morano
Among Census respondents with the surname Morano, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Morano 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 Morano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.7% · 2,355
- Hispanic or Latino20.6% · 675
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 148
- Two or more races2.3% · 77
- Black or African American0.5% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morano
Morano 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
#8,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,910
+554 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 510 places
2020
#9,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,283
-627 bearers (-16.0%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 1,027 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,959 | 3,356 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,449 | 3,910 | 1.33 | +554 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 510 places |
| 2020 | #9,476 | 3,283 | 1.10 | -627 bearers (-16.0%) | Down 1,027 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 Morano 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 | #8,449 | #9,476 | -12.2% |
| Count | 3,910 | 3,283 | -16.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.33 | 1.10 | -17.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morano bearers went from 3,910 to 3,283 (-16.0% change). The surname moved down 1,027 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,449 to #9,476.
FAQ
Morano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morano?
Name Census estimates that about 3,765 living Americans carry the surname Morano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,037 residents.
How common is Morano?
Morano ranks #9,476 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 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 3,283 people with the surname Morano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,765), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 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 Morano.
Has Morano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morano went from 3,910 recorded bearers to 3,283. That is a decrease of 627 (-16.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,449 to #9,476.
What does the Census say about the background of Morano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morano, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). 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 Morano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.7% (2,355 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.7%), Hispanic (20.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). 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 Morano (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 Morano mean?
Derived from the Italian place name Morano, likely referring to someone from that town or region. 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 Morano (1.10 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 Morano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.