2000
#12,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,163
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Savarese
Derived from the Italian word "selvaggio," meaning wild, untamed, or savage, likely referring to someone with a fierce disposition.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,241 Americans carry the last name Savarese. That puts it at #14,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,947 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Savarese 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
2.2K
1 in 152,947
Census rank
#14,628
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,954 bearers of the surname Savarese in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Savarese, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Savarese
The surname Savarese originates from Italy, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of the country, particularly in the areas around Naples and Salerno.
The name Savarese is derived from the personal name Saverio, which itself is the Italian form of the Latin name Xaverius. This name is related to the Basque place name Xavierri, suggesting a possible connection to the Basque region of Spain and France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Savarese can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Cava de' Tirreni area near Salerno. This manuscript, dating back to the 11th century, mentions individuals with the surname Savarese.
During the Renaissance period, the name Savarese gained prominence in Naples and its surrounding areas. In the 16th century, Girolamo Savarese (1543-1614) was a notable Neapolitan philosopher and writer who authored several works on logic and metaphysics.
Another notable figure bearing the Savarese surname was Domenico Savarese (1621-1692), a Baroque painter from Naples. His works, which included religious paintings and portraits, can be found in various churches and galleries across southern Italy.
In the 18th century, Giovanni Battista Savarese (1720-1799) was a prominent Italian architect and engineer from Naples. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings, including the Palazzo Cellamare in Naples.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Francesco Savarese (1809-1885) was an Italian lawyer and statesman who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and played a role in the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy.
Another notable figure from this time period was Raffaele Savarese (1856-1931), an Italian mathematician and educator. He made significant contributions to the field of geometry and taught at the University of Naples.
These examples illustrate the long-standing presence and significance of the Savarese surname in various fields throughout Italian history, particularly in the southern regions of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Savarese
Among Census respondents with the surname Savarese, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Savarese 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 Savarese surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 1,814
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 95
- Two or more races1.3% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Savarese
Savarese 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
#13,991
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,154
-9 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 996 places
2020
#14,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,954
-200 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 637 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,995 | 2,163 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,991 | 2,154 | 0.73 | -9 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 996 places |
| 2020 | #14,628 | 1,954 | 0.65 | -200 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 637 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 Savarese 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 | #13,991 | #14,628 | -4.6% |
| Count | 2,154 | 1,954 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.65 | -10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Savarese bearers went from 2,154 to 1,954 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 637 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,991 to #14,628.
FAQ
Savarese surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Savarese?
Name Census estimates that about 2,241 living Americans carry the surname Savarese. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,947 residents.
How common is Savarese?
Savarese ranks #14,628 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,954 people with the surname Savarese. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,241), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Savarese.
Has Savarese become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Savarese went from 2,154 recorded bearers to 1,954. That is a decrease of 200 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,991 to #14,628.
What does the Census say about the background of Savarese?
Among Census respondents with the surname Savarese, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Savarese in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (1,814 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Savarese appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Savarese (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 Savarese mean?
Derived from the Italian word "selvaggio," meaning wild, untamed, or savage, likely referring to someone with a fierce disposition. 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 Savarese (0.65 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 Americans have the surname Savarese?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.