2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Scolastico
An Italian surname derived from the term for scholar or academic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Scolastico. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scolastico 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Scolastico in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scolastico, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scolastico
The surname Scolastico originates from Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "scolastico," which means "scholar" or "student." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who had a connection to education or academia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Scolastico can be found in the records of the University of Bologna, one of the oldest universities in the world, established in 1088. During the 13th century, a notable figure named Bartolomeo Scolastico was a professor of law at the university.
In the 14th century, a manuscript from the Archivio di Stato di Firenze (State Archives of Florence) mentions a certain Gherardo Scolastico, who was a scribe and copyist. This indicates that the name was also associated with individuals involved in the preservation and dissemination of knowledge.
The town of Scolastica, located in the province of Potenza in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, may have contributed to the development of the surname Scolastico. It is possible that some individuals from this town adopted the name as a surname, reflecting their place of origin.
In the 16th century, a renowned Italian humanist and philosopher named Pietro Scolastico (1480-1548) gained prominence. He was a professor at the University of Padua and is remembered for his contributions to the study of classical literature and philosophy.
Another notable figure with the surname Scolastico was Girolamo Scolastico (1550-1631), a Sicilian poet and playwright who wrote in the Sicilian dialect. His works provide insights into the cultural and linguistic traditions of his time.
In the 18th century, the name Scolastico appears in the records of the Archivio di Stato di Napoli (State Archives of Naples), where it is mentioned in connection with various legal documents and transactions.
While the surname Scolastico may not be as widespread as some other Italian surnames, it has a rich history that reflects the intellectual and academic traditions of Italy, particularly during the medieval and Renaissance periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scolastico
Among Census respondents with the surname Scolastico, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Scolastico 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 Scolastico surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 92
- Two or more races5.8% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scolastico
Scolastico appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 4,842 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 Scolastico 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 | #158,432 | #153,590 | 3.1% |
| Count | 102 | 104 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scolastico bearers went from 102 to 104 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #153,590.
FAQ
Scolastico surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scolastico?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Scolastico. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Scolastico?
Scolastico ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Scolastico. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Scolastico.
Has Scolastico become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scolastico went from 102 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Scolastico?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scolastico, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Scolastico in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scolastico appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Scolastico (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 Scolastico mean?
An Italian surname derived from the term for scholar or academic. 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 Scolastico (0.03 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 Scolastico?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.