2000
#10,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,831
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.05
Rare Last name
Sasso
An Italian occupational surname referring to a stonecutter, mason, or one who worked with stone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,267 Americans carry the last name Sasso. That puts it at #10,709 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sasso 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
3.3K
1 in 104,914
Census rank
#10,709
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,849 bearers of the surname Sasso in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10709th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sasso, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Black (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sasso
The surname Sasso originated in Italy, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. The name is believed to derive from the Italian word "sasso," meaning "stone" or "rock." This suggests that the name may have originally been used to identify individuals who lived near or worked with stone or rocky areas.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Sasso can be found in the historical records of the city of Genoa, Italy, in the 13th century. The name appears in various documents from that time, indicating its presence in the region.
In the 14th century, the Sasso family was prominent in the city of Pisa, Tuscany. Historical records mention a Giovanni Sasso, who held a influential position in the local government during that period.
The name Sasso can also be traced back to the town of Sasso Marconi, located in the province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. The town's name is believed to have originated from the Latin phrase "Saxum Marconi," which means "Marconi's Rock." It is possible that individuals from this area adopted the surname Sasso.
One notable figure with the surname Sasso was Andrea Sasso, a renowned Italian architect who lived in the 16th century (c. 1525-1595). He was responsible for designing several churches and buildings in the city of Naples, including the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie a Caponapoli.
Another prominent individual was Giulio Sasso, an Italian painter and sculptor from the 17th century (c. 1620-1697). He is known for his works in various churches and palaces throughout Italy, particularly in Rome and Naples.
In the 18th century, the Sasso family had a significant presence in the city of Genoa. One notable member was Giovanni Battista Sasso (1725-1792), a Genoese merchant and banker who played a influential role in the city's economic affairs.
During the 19th century, the surname Sasso was also found in the region of Piedmont, Italy. One example is Cesare Sasso (1824-1908), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian parliament.
While the surname Sasso has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and emigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the Italian regions mentioned above, where it was closely associated with areas known for their rocky or stone-related landscapes or activities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sasso
Among Census respondents with the surname Sasso, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Black (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sasso 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 Sasso surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.7% · 2,356
- Hispanic or Latino11.3% · 322
- Black or African American3.0% · 86
- Two or more races2.1% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sasso
Sasso 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
#10,897
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,923
+92 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 471 places
2020
#10,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,849
-74 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Up 188 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,426 | 2,831 | 1.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,897 | 2,923 | 0.99 | +92 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 471 places |
| 2020 | #10,709 | 2,849 | 0.95 | -74 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 188 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 Sasso 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 | #10,897 | #10,709 | 1.7% |
| Count | 2,923 | 2,849 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.95 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sasso bearers went from 2,923 to 2,849 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 188 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,897 to #10,709.
FAQ
Sasso surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sasso?
Name Census estimates that about 3,267 living Americans carry the surname Sasso. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,914 residents.
How common is Sasso?
Sasso ranks #10,709 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 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 2,849 people with the surname Sasso. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,267), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 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 Sasso.
Has Sasso become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sasso went from 2,923 recorded bearers to 2,849. That is a decrease of 74 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,897 to #10,709.
What does the Census say about the background of Sasso?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sasso, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Black (3.0%). 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 Sasso in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (2,356 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sasso appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.7%), Hispanic (11.3%), Black (3.0%). 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 Sasso (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 Sasso mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a stonecutter, mason, or one who worked with stone. 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 Sasso (0.95 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 Sasso?
You can see how many people are called Sasso on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.