2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Paparazzo
Italian surname meaning a photographer who takes intrusive candid photos of celebrities.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Paparazzo. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paparazzo 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Paparazzo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paparazzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paparazzo
The surname Paparazzo is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Tuscany. It is thought to have derived from the Italian word 'paparazzo', which means a pesky photographer or someone who aggressively pursues celebrities for photos.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Paparazzo can be found in a 14th-century Florentine census record, where it was spelled as 'Paparazzi'. This suggests that the name has been in use for several centuries and may have originally referred to a profession or occupation related to photography or visual arts.
During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals with the surname Paparazzo were documented in various Italian cities. For instance, Giacomo Paparazzo (1487-1558) was a renowned painter from Siena, known for his intricate frescoes adorning churches and palaces across Tuscany.
Another historical figure was Filippo Paparazzo (1532-1605), a scholar and philosopher from Florence who authored several treatises on ethics and metaphysics. His works were widely studied in academic circles during the 16th century.
In the 18th century, the name Paparazzo gained prominence with the birth of Antonio Paparazzo (1723-1795), a celebrated Italian composer and violinist. He was highly regarded for his operas and symphonies, which were performed throughout Europe during his lifetime.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Giuseppe Paparazzo (1818-1892) was a prominent Italian politician and legal reformer. He played a significant role in the unification of Italy and served as a member of the Italian parliament for several terms.
It is worth noting that the surname Paparazzo has also been associated with certain geographical locations in Italy, such as the town of Paparazzo in the province of Avellino, Campania. This suggests that the name may have originated from a specific place or region before spreading to other parts of the country.
Overall, the surname Paparazzo has a rich history that spans several centuries, with notable individuals contributing to various fields including art, academia, music, and politics. Its origins can be traced back to medieval Italy, and it has continued to be a recognizable surname throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paparazzo
Among Census respondents with the surname Paparazzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Paparazzo 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 Paparazzo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paparazzo
Paparazzo 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+8 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,412 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 1,412 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,529 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 Paparazzo 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 | #139,228 | #145,757 | -4.7% |
| Count | 120 | 115 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paparazzo bearers went from 120 to 115 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #145,757.
FAQ
Paparazzo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paparazzo?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Paparazzo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Paparazzo?
Paparazzo ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Paparazzo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Paparazzo.
Has Paparazzo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paparazzo went from 120 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Paparazzo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paparazzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Paparazzo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paparazzo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (4.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Paparazzo (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 Paparazzo mean?
Italian surname meaning a photographer who takes intrusive candid photos of celebrities. 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 Paparazzo (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 people share the surname Paparazzo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.