2000
#1,784
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,445
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.84
Uncommon Last name
Rizzo
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who curls or frizzes hair or wigs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,218 Americans carry the last name Rizzo. That puts it at #2,001 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,953 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rizzo 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rizzo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 16,953
Census rank
#2,001
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,631 bearers of the surname Rizzo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2001st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rizzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rizzo
The surname Rizzo has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is believed to have emerged sometime during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "riccio," which means "curly" or "frizzy," referring to someone with curly hair.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rizzo can be found in a document from the city of Palermo, Sicily, dated 1283. This document mentions a nobleman named Matteo Rizzo, who owned several estates in the region. Another early reference is found in a manuscript from the town of Reggio Calabria, which mentions a merchant named Giovanni Rizzo in the year 1379.
During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname Rizzo. One of the most famous was Pietro Rizzo (1457-1532), a renowned sculptor from Palermo who created several marble statues and fountains that can still be found in various churches and public squares throughout Sicily.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure was Giuseppe Rizzo (1732-1805), an Italian philosopher and writer who authored several works on ethics and political theory. He was born in Messina, Sicily, and spent much of his life teaching and lecturing at universities in Naples and Rome.
Another notable individual was Antonio Rizzo (1798-1859), a Neapolitan painter who specialized in landscape and genre scenes. His works were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and can be found in various museums and private collections throughout Italy.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure was Vincenzo Rizzo (1828-1898), an Italian politician and journalist who played a significant role in the unification of Italy. He was born in Palermo and served as a member of the Italian Parliament for several terms.
During the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Rizzo was Frank Rizzo (1920-1991), an American politician who served as the mayor of Philadelphia from 1972 to 1980. He was known for his tough stance on crime and his controversial policies, which were both praised and criticized by different segments of the population.
Throughout history, the surname Rizzo has also been associated with various place names and older spellings. For instance, the town of Rizziconi in Calabria is believed to have been named after an ancient family with the name Rizzo. Additionally, the name has sometimes been spelled as "Rizzio" or "Ricio" in older documents and records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rizzo
Among Census respondents with the surname Rizzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Rizzo 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 Rizzo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 15,647
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 1,363
- Two or more races2.1% · 371
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 142
- Black or African American0.5% · 82
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rizzo
Rizzo 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
#1,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,605
+160 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 6.31
Rank movement Down 159 places
2020
#2,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,631
-974 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 5.90
Rank movement Down 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,784 | 18,445 | 6.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,943 | 18,605 | 6.31 | +160 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 159 places |
| 2020 | #2,001 | 17,631 | 5.90 | -974 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 58 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 Rizzo 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 | #1,943 | #2,001 | -3.0% |
| Count | 18,605 | 17,631 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 6.31 | 5.90 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rizzo bearers went from 18,605 to 17,631 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,943 to #2,001.
FAQ
Rizzo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rizzo?
Name Census estimates that about 20,218 living Americans carry the surname Rizzo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,953 residents.
How common is Rizzo?
Rizzo ranks #2,001 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,631 people with the surname Rizzo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Rizzo.
Has Rizzo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rizzo went from 18,605 recorded bearers to 17,631. That is a decrease of 974 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,943 to #2,001.
What does the Census say about the background of Rizzo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rizzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) 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 Rizzo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (15,647 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rizzo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Hispanic (7.7%), 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 Rizzo (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 Rizzo mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who curls or frizzes hair or wigs. 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 Rizzo (5.90 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 share the surname Rizzo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.