2000
#4,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,023
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.97
Uncommon Last name
Nino
A Spanish and Italian surname derived from the given name Antonino, a diminutive of Antonio, meaning "priceless one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,544 Americans carry the last name Nino. That puts it at #3,217 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,324 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nino 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
13K
1 in 27,324
Census rank
#3,217
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,939 bearers of the surname Nino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3217th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nino
The surname Nino is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Calabria and Sicily. It likely derived from the Latin word "ninus," which means "small" or "little." The name can be traced back to the 12th century, where it was commonly used as a nickname or a descriptive term for individuals of smaller stature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nino surname can be found in the Sicilian town of Messina, where a document from 1235 mentions a certain "Robertus Ninus." This suggests that the name was already in use during the medieval period, particularly among the lower classes and peasantry.
In the 14th century, the Nino surname gained prominence in the city of Naples, where a nobleman named Giovanni Nino (c. 1285 - c. 1368) rose to prominence as a jurist and a diplomat in the service of the Angevin kings of Naples. His work, known as the "Nino Comentaria," is considered one of the earliest and most important legal treatises of the time.
Another notable figure bearing the Nino surname was the 15th-century Florentine artist Giannozzo Nino (c. 1420 - 1490), known for his exquisite fresco paintings in various churches and monasteries across Italy. His works can be found in the Chiesa di Santa Maria Novella in Florence and the Basilica di Santa Croce in the same city.
In the 16th century, the Nino family established a presence in the Spanish territories of the New World, with a certain Pedro Nino (c. 1520 - c. 1590) serving as a conquistador and explorer in the region now known as Mexico. He is credited with establishing several settlements and contributing to the expansion of Spanish influence in the Americas.
Another notable figure was the 18th-century Neapolitan composer and musician Giovanni Nino (1713 - 1788), who gained recognition for his operas and sacred works, which were widely performed across Europe during his lifetime.
Over the centuries, the Nino surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Italy, particularly in the south. It has also spread to other parts of the world through migration, with Nino families establishing roots in countries like the United States, Argentina, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nino
Among Census respondents with the surname Nino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Nino 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 Nino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.2% · 9,760
- White8.1% · 883
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 186
- Two or more races0.5% · 56
- Black or African American0.3% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nino
Nino 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
#3,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,202
+3,179 bearers (+39.6%)
Per 100,000 3.80
Rank movement Up 861 places
2020
#3,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,939
-263 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 3.66
Rank movement Up 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,085 | 8,023 | 2.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,224 | 11,202 | 3.80 | +3,179 bearers (+39.6%) | Up 861 places |
| 2020 | #3,217 | 10,939 | 3.66 | -263 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 7 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 Nino 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 | #3,224 | #3,217 | 0.2% |
| Count | 11,202 | 10,939 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.80 | 3.66 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nino bearers went from 11,202 to 10,939 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,224 to #3,217.
FAQ
Nino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nino?
Name Census estimates that about 12,544 living Americans carry the surname Nino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,324 residents.
How common is Nino?
Nino ranks #3,217 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,939 people with the surname Nino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,544), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Nino.
Has Nino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nino went from 11,202 recorded bearers to 10,939. That is a decrease of 263 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,224 to #3,217.
What does the Census say about the background of Nino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.2%. The next largest groups are White (8.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (9,760 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.2%), White (8.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Nino (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 Nino mean?
A Spanish and Italian surname derived from the given name Antonino, a diminutive of Antonio, meaning "priceless one." 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 Nino (3.66 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 share the surname Nino?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.