2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Scano
An Italian surname with uncertain origins, possibly derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Scano. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scano 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Scano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scano, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scano
The surname SCANO is of Italian origin, originating in the region of Tuscany during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "scando," meaning "to climb" or "to ascend," which may suggest that the earliest bearers of this name lived in an elevated or mountainous area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SCANO surname can be found in the Libro d'Oro della Nobiltà Italiana, a historical record of Italian noble families dating back to the 13th century. The SCANO family is mentioned as being among the aristocratic families of Florence during this period.
In the 14th century, a notable SCANO was Francesco di Scano, a wealthy Florentine merchant and banker who played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs. His name appears in several historical documents and records from that time.
During the Renaissance period, the SCANO surname was also associated with the arts. Giovanni Battista SCANO (1535-1612) was a renowned painter from Siena, known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout Tuscany.
In the 18th century, the SCANO family had a presence in the Kingdom of Naples. Antonio SCANO (1720-1795) was a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the city of Naples.
Another notable figure was Giuseppe SCANO (1811-1879), a prominent Italian archaeologist and historian from Sardinia. He made significant contributions to the study of ancient Sardinian civilization and authored several books on the subject.
Throughout its history, the SCANO surname has also been associated with various place names and locations within Italy. Examples include the town of Scanno in the Abruzzo region, and the Scano Valley in Sardinia, both of which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
While not an exhaustive list, these examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals bearing the SCANO surname, which has its roots firmly planted in the Italian peninsula and its vibrant cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scano
Among Census respondents with the surname Scano, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Scano 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 Scano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino12.6% · 15
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scano
Scano 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,830 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,339 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,830 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 6,339 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 Scano 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 | #136,449 | #142,788 | -4.6% |
| Count | 123 | 119 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scano bearers went from 123 to 119 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 6,339 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #142,788.
FAQ
Scano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scano?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Scano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Scano?
Scano ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Scano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Scano.
Has Scano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scano went from 123 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Scano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scano, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.6%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Scano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Hispanic (12.6%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Scano (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 Scano mean?
An Italian surname with uncertain origins, possibly derived from a place name. 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 Scano (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 share the surname Scano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.