2000
#13,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,058
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Restivo
Derived from the Italian word "restivo," meaning obstinate, stubborn, or headstrong.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,300 Americans carry the last name Restivo. That puts it at #14,345 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,024 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Restivo 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 149,024
Census rank
#14,345
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,006 bearers of the surname Restivo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14345th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Restivo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Restivo
The surname "Restivo" is of Italian origin, deriving from the medieval Italian word "restio," which means "obstinate" or "stubborn." It likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone perceived as having a resolute or unyielding character.
The name is thought to have emerged in Sicily during the 13th or 14th century. It was particularly prevalent in the regions of Palermo and Catania, where many early records of the name can be found.
One of the earliest known references to the name "Restivo" dates back to a document from the city of Palermo in 1326, which mentions a certain "Nicolao Restivo." Another early record from Catania in 1352 refers to a "Giovanni Restivo."
In the late 15th century, a notable figure named Antonio Restivo (1452-1521) was a prominent painter and architect from Palermo, known for his work on several churches and palaces in the city.
During the 16th century, the name appears in various records across Sicily, such as a reference to a "Vincenzo Restivo" in a legal document from Palermo in 1587.
In the 17th century, a Jesuit priest named Tommaso Restivo (1592-1672) from Catania gained recognition for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy.
Another notable individual with the surname "Restivo" was the 18th-century Sicilian poet and playwright, Giuseppe Restivo (1735-1809), whose works were widely acclaimed during his time.
As the name spread beyond Sicily, it can be found in various regions of Italy, particularly in the south. For instance, in the late 19th century, a lawyer named Raffaele Restivo (1845-1912) from the town of Foggia in Puglia became known for his contributions to Italian jurisprudence.
While the surname "Restivo" is primarily associated with Italy, it has also been carried by individuals of Italian descent in other parts of the world, particularly in North and South America, where Italian immigrants settled and established communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Restivo
Among Census respondents with the surname Restivo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Restivo 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 Restivo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 1,851
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 93
- Two or more races2.1% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Restivo
Restivo 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
#14,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,071
+13 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 887 places
2020
#14,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,006
-65 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 82 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,540 | 2,058 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,427 | 2,071 | 0.70 | +13 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 887 places |
| 2020 | #14,345 | 2,006 | 0.67 | -65 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 82 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 Restivo 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 | #14,427 | #14,345 | 0.6% |
| Count | 2,071 | 2,006 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.67 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Restivo bearers went from 2,071 to 2,006 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 82 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,427 to #14,345.
FAQ
Restivo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Restivo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,300 living Americans carry the surname Restivo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,024 residents.
How common is Restivo?
Restivo ranks #14,345 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 2,006 people with the surname Restivo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,300), 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 Restivo.
Has Restivo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Restivo went from 2,071 recorded bearers to 2,006. That is a decrease of 65 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,427 to #14,345.
What does the Census say about the background of Restivo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Restivo, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Restivo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (1,851 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Restivo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Restivo (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 Restivo mean?
Derived from the Italian word "restivo," meaning obstinate, stubborn, or headstrong. 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 Restivo (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 Americans have the surname Restivo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.