2000
#9,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,191
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Morello
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who harvested or sold black cherries or dark-skinned grapes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,448 Americans carry the last name Morello. That puts it at #10,197 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,407 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Morello 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
3.4K
1 in 99,407
Census rank
#10,197
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,007 bearers of the surname Morello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10197th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Morello, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Morello
The surname Morello is of Italian origin, having its roots in the region of Sicily. It dates back to the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "moro," meaning "dark-skinned" or "Moor," referring to the ethnic group from North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Morello can be found in historical documents from the city of Palermo, Sicily, during the 13th century. It is believed that the name was initially given to individuals with darker complexions, possibly of North African or Middle Eastern descent, who settled in the region during the period of Arab influence in Sicily.
In the 14th century, the Morello family was prominently mentioned in records related to the noble families of Palermo. A notable figure was Giovanni Morello, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived between 1320 and 1385. He was known for his contributions to the city's economy and cultural life.
As the Morello family grew and expanded throughout Italy, the surname also took on variations such as Morelli, Morella, and Morelló. These variations reflect regional dialects and linguistic adaptations over time.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Morello family settled in the city of Naples, where they gained prominence in the legal and academic fields. One notable figure was Giambattista Morello (1548-1623), a renowned jurist and author of several legal treatises.
During the 18th century, the Morello surname gained recognition in the arts and literature. Antonio Morello (1712-1783) was a celebrated painter from Palermo, known for his religious and mythological works. His contemporary, Pietro Morello (1718-1792), was a renowned poet and playwright from Naples.
As the Italian diaspora spread across the globe, the Morello surname traveled with them. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Italians with the surname Morello immigrated to the United States, settling in cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
Throughout history, the Morello surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, merchants, and nobility. While the name originated in Sicily, it has since become widespread across Italy and beyond, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and a connection to the region's diverse ethnic and historical influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Morello
Among Census respondents with the surname Morello, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Morello 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 Morello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 2,529
- Hispanic or Latino12.7% · 382
- Two or more races1.8% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Morello
Morello 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
#9,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,283
+92 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 488 places
2020
#10,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,007
-276 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 344 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,365 | 3,191 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,853 | 3,283 | 1.11 | +92 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 488 places |
| 2020 | #10,197 | 3,007 | 1.01 | -276 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 344 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 Morello 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 | #9,853 | #10,197 | -3.5% |
| Count | 3,283 | 3,007 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.01 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Morello bearers went from 3,283 to 3,007 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 344 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,853 to #10,197.
FAQ
Morello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Morello?
Name Census estimates that about 3,448 living Americans carry the surname Morello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,407 residents.
How common is Morello?
Morello ranks #10,197 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,007 people with the surname Morello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,448), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Morello.
Has Morello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Morello went from 3,283 recorded bearers to 3,007. That is a decrease of 276 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,853 to #10,197.
What does the Census say about the background of Morello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Morello, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Morello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (2,529 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Morello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.1%), Hispanic (12.7%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Morello (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 Morello mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who harvested or sold black cherries or dark-skinned grapes. 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 Morello (1.01 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 surname Morello?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.