2000
#13,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Rago
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold a type of homespun cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,291 Americans carry the last name Rago. That puts it at #14,401 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,609 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rago 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
2.3K
1 in 149,609
Census rank
#14,401
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,998 bearers of the surname Rago in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14401st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rago, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rago
The surname Rago is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the Italian peninsula in the Middle Ages. Its earliest recorded spelling was "Rago," derived from the Latin word "raga," meaning "ray" or "beam." This name was likely given as a descriptive surname to someone with radiant or bright features.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Rago surname can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the city of Genoa, where a nobleman named Guglielmo Rago was mentioned. The name was also present in the historical records of the Sicilian town of Palermo, where the Rago family had established itself as landowners by the 15th century.
During the Renaissance period, the Rago surname gained prominence in various Italian cities. In Florence, a renowned painter named Antonio Rago (1499-1578) was celebrated for his religious frescoes adorning several churches. Meanwhile, in Venice, the scholar and philosopher Giacomo Rago (1521-1603) made significant contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time.
The Rago surname spread beyond Italy as Italian immigrants settled in different parts of the world. In the late 19th century, Andrea Rago (1862-1938), a skilled craftsman from Naples, immigrated to Argentina and established a successful woodworking business in Buenos Aires, contributing to the local artisan community.
Another notable figure bearing the Rago surname was the Italian-American poet and writer, Gina Rago (1920-2011). Born in New York City to Italian immigrants, her literary works explored themes of identity, immigration, and the experiences of Italian-Americans.
The Rago surname has also been associated with several place names in Italy. For instance, the village of Rago in the province of Lecce, Puglia, is believed to have derived its name from the ancient Latin word "raga," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its linguistic origins.
Throughout history, the Rago surname has left its mark across various fields, from the arts and academia to commerce and literature, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rago
Among Census respondents with the surname Rago, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rago 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 Rago surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 1,711
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 118
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.7% · 94
- Two or more races2.6% · 51
- Black or African American1.0% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rago
Rago 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
#14,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,093
-17 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 1,033 places
2020
#14,401
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,998
-95 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,266 | 2,110 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,299 | 2,093 | 0.71 | -17 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 1,033 places |
| 2020 | #14,401 | 1,998 | 0.67 | -95 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 102 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 Rago 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 | #14,299 | #14,401 | -0.7% |
| Count | 2,093 | 1,998 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.67 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rago bearers went from 2,093 to 1,998 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 102 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,299 to #14,401.
FAQ
Rago surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rago?
Name Census estimates that about 2,291 living Americans carry the surname Rago. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,609 residents.
How common is Rago?
Rago ranks #14,401 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,998 people with the surname Rago. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,291), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rago.
Has Rago become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rago went from 2,093 recorded bearers to 1,998. That is a decrease of 95 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,299 to #14,401.
What does the Census say about the background of Rago?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rago, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rago in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (1,711 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rago appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Hispanic (5.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.7%). 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 Rago (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 Rago mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold a type of homespun cloth. 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 Rago (0.67 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 Rago?
Want to know how many people have the last name Rago? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.