Rillo last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Rillo

A diminutive or habitational surname derived from a place name in Spain.

Rillo, 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 Rillo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rillo in America

Rillo is the 54178th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rillo surname appeared 381 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 Rillo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rillo 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank54178528272.53%
Count3813683.47%
Proportion per 100k0.130.14-7.41%

The history of the last name Rillo

The surname Rillo has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 12th or 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Italian word "rillo," which means "small ridge" or "hillock." This suggests that the surname may have been initially given to someone who lived near or on a small ridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Rillo surname can be found in a document from the town of Monza, in the province of Milan, dated 1296. This document mentions a certain "Petrus Rillo" as a witness to a land transaction. Another early reference comes from the town of Bergamo, where a "Giovanni Rillo" is listed in a tax record from 1327.

The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods. In the 16th century, a notable individual bearing the Rillo surname was Giorgio Rillo (1520-1592), a renowned architect and engineer from Venice. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city, including the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.

In the 18th century, the Rillo name gained prominence in the field of music. Antonio Rillo (1725-1799) was a celebrated composer and violinist from Brescia. He composed numerous operas and instrumental works, many of which were performed throughout Europe.

Another notable figure was Francesco Rillo (1801-1871), a lawyer and politician from Milan. He served as a member of the Provisional Government of Milan during the Revolutions of 1848 and was a vocal advocate for Italian unification.

Moving into the 19th century, a prominent individual with the Rillo surname was Carlo Rillo (1856-1932). He was a respected historian and author from Verona, best known for his works on the history of the Venetian Republic.

Throughout its history, the Rillo surname has also been associated with several small towns and villages in northern Italy, such as Rillo in the province of Treviso and Rillo di Garna in the province of Brescia. These place names may have contributed to the spread and variation of the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rillo

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

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 Rillo was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only48.03%183
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only38.32%146
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races2.10%8
Hispanic Origin10.76%41

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 Rillo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White48.03%49.18%-2.37%
Black(S)%0.00%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander38.32%38.32%0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%0.00%(S)%
Two or More Races2.10%2.99%-34.97%
Hispanic10.76%9.51%12.33%

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 Rillo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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