2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Radio
A surname derived from the Italian word "radio" meaning "spoke of a wheel" or "ray."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Radio. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Radio 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Radio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Radio, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Radio
The surname Radio does not have a long or well-documented history. It is believed to be a relatively modern surname, likely originating in the late 19th or early 20th century. The name Radio is thought to be derived from the word "radio," which refers to the technology for transmitting signals through the air as electromagnetic waves.
One possible explanation for the surname's origin is that it may have been adopted by individuals involved in the early development or use of radio technology, either as a profession or as a hobby. Alternatively, it could have been a nickname or descriptive surname given to someone who worked with radios or had a strong interest in the emerging field of radio communication.
There are no known historical references or records of the surname Radio appearing in ancient manuscripts or documents, such as the Domesday Book. This is likely due to the surname's relatively recent origin and its connection to modern technology.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Radio is Thomas J. Radio, an American actor born in 1905. Radio appeared in several films during the 1940s and 1950s, including "The Killers" (1946) and "The Man from Planet X" (1951).
Another notable individual with the surname Radio is José Radio, a Spanish singer and musician born in 1939. Radio was a prominent figure in the Catalan music scene and played a significant role in preserving and promoting traditional Catalan folk music.
In the field of sports, there is Angelo Radio, an Italian boxer who competed in the light heavyweight division during the 1960s and 1970s. Radio had a successful career, winning several European and Italian championships.
Cesare Radio, an Italian artist and sculptor born in 1918, is known for his abstract and figurative works. Radio's sculptures and public art installations can be found in various cities across Italy and Europe.
Lastly, one of the more recent individuals with the surname Radio is Massimo Radio, an Italian journalist and television presenter born in 1963. Radio has worked for several Italian news networks and is known for his coverage of political and current affairs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Radio
Among Census respondents with the surname Radio, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Radio 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 Radio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 11
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Radio
Radio 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-2 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,731 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+14 bearers (+14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,480 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 12,731 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+14.0%) | Up 14,480 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 Radio 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 | #160,975 | #146,495 | 9.0% |
| Count | 100 | 114 | 14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Radio bearers went from 100 to 114 (+14.0% change). The surname moved up 14,480 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #146,495.
FAQ
Radio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Radio?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Radio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Radio?
Radio ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Radio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Radio.
Has Radio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Radio went from 100 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 14 (+14.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Radio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Radio, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Black (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 Radio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Radio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Hispanic (9.6%), Black (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 Radio (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 Radio mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "radio" meaning "spoke of a wheel" or "ray." 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 Radio (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 are called Radio?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Radio on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.