Find out how popular the last name Niro is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Niro.

Niro, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Niro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Niro in America

Niro is the 39164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Niro surname appeared 562 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Niro.

We can also compare 2010 data for Niro to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Niro

The surname NIRO is believed to have originated in Italy, particularly in the region of Calabria. It is thought to have derived from the Latin name "Nero," which means "black" or "dark-haired." This surname may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a darker complexion or hair color.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NIRO can be found in the records of the town of Catanzaro, Calabria, dating back to the 16th century. Specifically, there is a mention of a Giovanni Niro, who was a landowner and merchant in the area around 1570.

In the 17th century, the name NIRO appears in various church records and legal documents across southern Italy, indicating its presence in multiple communities. For example, a Francesco Niro is listed as a witness in a court case in the town of Cosenza in 1632.

The surname NIRO has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual is Antonio Niro, a prominent Italian painter from the 18th century who was known for his religious artwork and frescoes in churches across Calabria.

Another notable figure with the surname NIRO is Giuseppe Niro, a 19th-century Italian philosopher and writer who was born in Naples in 1825. He is known for his works exploring the concepts of metaphysics and ethics.

In the early 20th century, a Vincenzo Niro was a prominent figure in the Italian labor movement. Born in 1892 in Catanzaro, he was a trade union leader and activist who fought for workers' rights and better working conditions.

Additionally, the name NIRO has been linked to various place names in southern Italy, such as the town of Niroglio in the province of Catanzaro, which may have derived its name from the surname.

It is worth noting that while the surname NIRO is most prevalent in Italy, particularly in the southern regions, it has also been found in other parts of the world due to Italian immigration and diaspora over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Niro

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Niro.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Niro was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Niro has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Niro was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Niro, please contact us.

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