2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rispo
Italian surname of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "rough."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Rispo. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rispo 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Rispo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rispo, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rispo
The surname RISPO originates from Italy and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "rispo" which means "answer" or "response". This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone known for their quick wit or ability to provide answers.
During the Medieval period, the name RISPO was primarily found in the regions of Campania and Puglia in southern Italy. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in municipal records and tax rolls from the cities of Naples and Bari dating back to the late 1300s.
One of the earliest documented references to the RISPO name comes from a 1428 land deed in the town of Amalfi, which mentions a certain "Giovanni Rispo" as a landowner. This provides evidence that the name was already well-established in the area by the early 15th century.
The RISPO surname also appears in several historical documents from the Renaissance period, including a 1512 census record from the city of Lecce, which lists a family headed by "Paolo Rispo". This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of southern Italy by the 16th century.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the RISPO surname was Girolamo Rispo, a prominent lawyer and judge from Naples who lived in the late 16th century (c. 1550-1620). He is known for his influential legal treatises and his role in shaping the judicial system of the Kingdom of Naples.
Another significant figure bearing the RISPO name was Domenico Rispo (1677-1746), a renowned painter from the Neapolitan school who was active during the Baroque period. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Rispo (1817-1893) was a respected Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy. He was also a vocal advocate for the unification of Italy and played a role in the Risorgimento movement.
It is worth noting that the RISPO surname has also been associated with several place names in southern Italy, such as the town of Rispo Reale in the province of Caserta, and the village of Rispo Valsanese in the province of Potenza. These locations likely derive their names from the RISPO surname itself, indicating the historical presence of families bearing this name in those areas.
Throughout its history, the RISPO surname has produced numerous other notable individuals, including authors, artists, and scholars, further solidifying its place in the cultural and historical fabric of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rispo
Among Census respondents with the surname Rispo, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Rispo 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 Rispo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 101
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rispo
Rispo 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,463 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 5,463 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 7,119 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 Rispo 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 | #145,220 | #152,339 | -4.9% |
| Count | 114 | 106 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rispo bearers went from 114 to 106 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 7,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,339.
FAQ
Rispo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rispo?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Rispo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Rispo?
Rispo ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Rispo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Rispo.
Has Rispo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rispo went from 114 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Rispo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rispo, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) 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 Rispo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rispo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%), 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 Rispo (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 Rispo mean?
Italian surname of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "rough." 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 Rispo (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 Rispo?
See how many people have the surname Rispo on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.