2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mussio
A surname derived from the Latin word "musso", meaning to mutter or mumble.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 181 Americans carry the last name Mussio. That puts it at #116,774 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,893,670 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mussio 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
181
1 in 1,893,670
Census rank
#116,774
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
158
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 158 bearers of the surname Mussio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 116774th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mussio, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.2%) and Two or More Races (8.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mussio
The surname Mussio has its roots in Italy, with its origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have been derived from the Latin word "musca," which means "fly." This suggests that the name may have been originally bestowed upon someone who had a profession or occupation related to flies, such as a fly-catcher or an innkeeper responsible for keeping flies away from their establishment.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mussio can be found in the historic city of Venice. In the late 14th century, a merchant named Giovanni Mussio was documented as being involved in the lucrative trade between Venice and the Byzantine Empire. This provides evidence that the name was already well-established in the region during that time period.
The name Mussio also appears in some ancient manuscripts and records from the Italian region of Lombardy. For instance, a family of landowners bearing the Mussio surname is mentioned in a 16th-century document detailing property transactions in the town of Bergamo. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its presumed Venetian origins and had become associated with affluent families in other parts of northern Italy.
One notable individual with the surname Mussio was Francesco Mussio, a Renaissance painter born in the city of Brescia around 1510. He was a contemporary of the renowned artist Titian and is renowned for his religious artwork, particularly his frescoes adorning various churches in Brescia and the surrounding areas.
During the 17th century, a branch of the Mussio family migrated to the island of Sardinia, where they established themselves as prominent landowners and farmers. One member of this family, Pietro Mussio (1625-1701), is recorded as having played a crucial role in the development of Sardinia's agricultural techniques during that era.
In the late 19th century, a notable figure named Giacomo Mussio (1847-1923) emerged from the northern Italian city of Turin. He was a celebrated architect and engineer who contributed to the design and construction of several iconic buildings and structures in Turin, including the iconic Mole Antonelliana, which now houses the National Museum of Cinema.
These examples illustrate the rich history and widespread presence of the Mussio surname across various regions of Italy, spanning several centuries. While the name's origins may be humble, it has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, artists, landowners, and esteemed professionals.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mussio
Among Census respondents with the surname Mussio, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.2%) and Two or More Races (8.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mussio 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 Mussio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.9% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino22.2% · 35
- Two or more races8.2% · 13
- Black or African American3.8% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mussio
Mussio 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
#106,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
+27 bearers (+19.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 8,756 places
2020
#116,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 158
-10 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 10,678 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #106,096 | 168 | 0.06 | +27 bearers (+19.1%) | Up 8,756 places |
| 2020 | #116,774 | 158 | 0.05 | -10 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 10,678 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 Mussio 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 | #106,096 | #116,774 | -10.1% |
| Count | 168 | 158 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mussio bearers went from 168 to 158 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 10,678 positions in the national ranking, going from #106,096 to #116,774.
FAQ
Mussio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mussio?
Name Census estimates that about 181 living Americans carry the surname Mussio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,893,670 residents.
How common is Mussio?
Mussio ranks #116,774 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 158 people with the surname Mussio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (181), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Mussio.
Has Mussio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mussio went from 168 recorded bearers to 158. That is a decrease of 10 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #106,096 to #116,774.
What does the Census say about the background of Mussio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mussio, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.2%) and Two or More Races (8.2%). 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 Mussio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.9% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mussio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.9%), Hispanic (22.2%), Two or More Races (8.2%). 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 Mussio (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 Mussio mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "musso", meaning to mutter or mumble. 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 Mussio (0.05 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 Mussio?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.