2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Muscente
An Italian surname derived from the word "moscente" meaning a fly or fly-like insect.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Muscente. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Muscente 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Muscente in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Muscente, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Muscente
The surname Muscente has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "muscens," which means "moss-covered" or "mossy." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who lived in a particularly verdant or moss-covered area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Muscente can be found in various Italian records, such as tax rolls and census documents from the regions of Campania and Basilicata. One notable mention is in the 1487 Catasto Onciario, a tax record from the town of Lavello in the province of Potenza, which lists a "Nicola Muscente" among its residents.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appears to have spread to other parts of southern Italy, particularly in the regions of Calabria and Puglia. In 1632, a "Giovanni Battista Muscente" is recorded as a landowner in the town of Venosa, in the province of Potenza.
While not a particularly common surname, the Muscente name has been carried by several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Francesco Muscente, a renowned sculptor and architect from Naples who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is credited with designing several churches and palaces in and around Naples, including the Chiesa di San Gregorio Armeno and the Palazzo Muscettola.
Another notable bearer of the Muscente name was Vincenzo Muscente, a lawyer and political figure from Potenza who lived in the 18th century. He served as a magistrate and held various influential positions within the local government.
In the 19th century, there was a Giuseppe Muscente, a prominent businessman and landowner from the town of Montemilone in the province of Potenza. He was known for his extensive agricultural holdings and philanthropic efforts within the community.
As for place names potentially related to the surname, there is a small village called Muscentia in the province of Matera, which may have some connection to the origin of the name, though the details are unclear.
While not a particularly widespread surname, the Muscente name has a rich history rooted in southern Italy, with roots dating back to the 15th century and notable bearers scattered throughout various regions and professions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Muscente
Among Census respondents with the surname Muscente, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Muscente 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 Muscente surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino9.0% · 10
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Muscente
Muscente 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,606 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,606 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Muscente 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Muscente bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Muscente surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Muscente?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Muscente. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Muscente?
Muscente ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Muscente. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Muscente.
Has Muscente become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Muscente went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Muscente?
Among Census respondents with the surname Muscente, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Muscente in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Muscente appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Hispanic (9.0%), Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Muscente (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 Muscente mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "moscente" meaning a fly or fly-like insect. 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 Muscente (0.04 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 Muscente?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.