2000
#9,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,337
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Severino
Derived from the Latin name Severinus, meaning "stern" or "severe," likely referring to a person with a serious demeanor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,811 Americans carry the last name Severino. That puts it at #7,609 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,244 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Severino 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
4.8K
1 in 71,244
Census rank
#7,609
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,195 bearers of the surname Severino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7609th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Severino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (42.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Severino
The surname Severino has its origins in Italy, where it first emerged in the 8th century AD. It is derived from the Latin name Severinus, which itself comes from the word "severus," meaning "severe" or "strict." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone with a stern or serious demeanor.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared as "Severino" in various medieval Italian records and documents. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Campania and Lazio, particularly around the cities of Naples and Rome.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Saint Severino Abate, an Italian monk who lived in the 5th century AD and founded several monasteries in Southern Italy. His name was recorded in various hagiographies and religious texts from that period.
Another notable figure was Severino Boezio, also known as Boethius, a Roman philosopher and theologian who lived from around 480 to 524 AD. He is best known for his influential work "The Consolation of Philosophy," which he wrote while imprisoned by the Ostrogothic King Theodoric the Great.
During the Middle Ages, the name Severino appeared in various records and chronicles, such as the Chronica Monasterii Casinensis, a historical account of the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino, located in Southern Italy. This suggests that the name may have been particularly prevalent among religious orders and noble families in that region.
In the Renaissance period, the name Severino was borne by several notable figures, including Severino Nappi (1550-1618), an Italian painter and architect active in Naples, and Severino Servanzi (1619-1690), an Italian painter and engraver from the city of Rimini.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name appeared in various Italian genealogical records and documents, indicating its continued use among Italian families. One notable bearer from this period was Severino Serioli (1690-1768), an Italian painter and engraver from the city of Bologna.
Throughout its history, the surname Severino has maintained a strong presence in Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania, Lazio, and Emilia-Romagna. It has also been adopted by Italian immigrants who settled in other parts of the world, such as the United States and Argentina.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Severino
Among Census respondents with the surname Severino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (42.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Severino 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 Severino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino52.2% · 2,190
- White42.5% · 1,784
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 106
- Black or African American1.3% · 53
- Two or more races1.3% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Severino
Severino 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
#8,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,051
+714 bearers (+21.4%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Up 817 places
2020
#7,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,195
+144 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 580 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,006 | 3,337 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,189 | 4,051 | 1.37 | +714 bearers (+21.4%) | Up 817 places |
| 2020 | #7,609 | 4,195 | 1.40 | +144 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 580 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 Severino 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 | #8,189 | #7,609 | 7.1% |
| Count | 4,051 | 4,195 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.40 | 2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Severino bearers went from 4,051 to 4,195 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 580 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,189 to #7,609.
FAQ
Severino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Severino?
Name Census estimates that about 4,811 living Americans carry the surname Severino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,244 residents.
How common is Severino?
Severino ranks #7,609 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 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 4,195 people with the surname Severino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,811), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 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 Severino.
Has Severino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Severino went from 4,051 recorded bearers to 4,195. That is an increase of 144 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,189 to #7,609.
What does the Census say about the background of Severino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Severino, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (42.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Severino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.2% (2,190 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Severino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (52.2%), White (42.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Severino (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 Severino mean?
Derived from the Latin name Severinus, meaning "stern" or "severe," likely referring to a person with a serious demeanor. 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 Severino (1.40 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 last name Severino?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Severino, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.