2000
#13,573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,052
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Salvato
An Italian surname derived from the past participle of the verb "salvare," meaning "to save" or "to rescue."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,031 Americans carry the last name Salvato. That puts it at #15,833 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 168,761 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salvato 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
2.0K
1 in 168,761
Census rank
#15,833
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,771 bearers of the surname Salvato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15833rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salvato, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salvato
The surname Salvato is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to medieval times. It is believed to have originated from the town of Salvato in the southern Italian region of Campania. The name is derived from the Latin word "salvatus," meaning "saved" or "rescued," suggesting that the original bearer might have been someone who had been saved or rescued from a precarious situation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Salvato can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Benedictine monastery of Cava de' Tirreni, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in several documents, indicating that individuals bearing this surname resided in the area during that time period.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Giacomo Salvato was mentioned in the records of the city of Naples. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the economic and political affairs of the region. Another early bearer of the name was Tommaso Salvato, a renowned physician who lived in the 14th century and served as the personal doctor to several noble families in Southern Italy.
The Salvato surname has also been linked to various place names within Italy. For instance, the town of Salvato in Campania was once known as "Salvatora," which further reinforces the connection between the name and the concept of being saved or rescued. Additionally, there are records of individuals with the surname Salvato hailing from other regions of Italy, such as Sicily and Tuscany, suggesting the name's broader geographical spread.
One of the most famous bearers of the Salvato surname was Giovanni Battista Salvato, a renowned artist and sculptor who lived during the 16th century (1520-1588). His works can still be admired in various churches and museums throughout Italy, showcasing his exceptional talent and contribution to the Renaissance art movement.
Another notable figure was Pietro Salvato (1615-1685), a prominent architect and engineer who was responsible for designing and constructing several iconic buildings and fortifications in Naples and the surrounding areas during the 17th century.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Salvato (1810-1879) was a celebrated Italian writer and poet, known for his romantic and patriotic works that celebrated the beauty and resilience of the Italian people. His literary contributions played a significant role in shaping the cultural landscape of the time.
Throughout history, the Salvato surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, merchants, and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salvato
Among Census respondents with the surname Salvato, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Salvato 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 Salvato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,612
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 93
- Two or more races2.3% · 40
- Black or African American0.6% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salvato
Salvato 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
#13,588
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,231
+179 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 15 places
2020
#15,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,771
-460 bearers (-20.6%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Down 2,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,573 | 2,052 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,588 | 2,231 | 0.76 | +179 bearers (+8.7%) | Down 15 places |
| 2020 | #15,833 | 1,771 | 0.59 | -460 bearers (-20.6%) | Down 2,245 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 Salvato 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 | #13,588 | #15,833 | -16.5% |
| Count | 2,231 | 1,771 | -20.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.59 | -22.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salvato bearers went from 2,231 to 1,771 (-20.6% change). The surname moved down 2,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,588 to #15,833.
FAQ
Salvato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salvato?
Name Census estimates that about 2,031 living Americans carry the surname Salvato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 168,761 residents.
How common is Salvato?
Salvato ranks #15,833 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 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 1,771 people with the surname Salvato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,031), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 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 Salvato.
Has Salvato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salvato went from 2,231 recorded bearers to 1,771. That is a decrease of 460 (-20.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,588 to #15,833.
What does the Census say about the background of Salvato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salvato, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Salvato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,612 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salvato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (5.3%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Salvato (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 Salvato mean?
An Italian surname derived from the past participle of the verb "salvare," meaning "to save" or "to rescue." 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 Salvato (0.59 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 have the surname Salvato?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.