Find out how popular the last name Sisto is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sisto.

Sisto, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sisto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sisto in America

Sisto is the 17726th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sisto surname appeared 1,581 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sisto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sisto to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sisto

The surname Sisto originated in Italy during the 13th century. It is derived from the late Latin name "Sextus," which itself stems from the Roman numeral "sextus" meaning "sixth." The name Sisto likely referred to the sixth-born child in a family or was used as a personal name before becoming a hereditary surname.

In the early days, the name was predominantly found in the regions of Lazio and Umbria in central Italy. It first appeared in written records as "Sisto" or "Sixto" in medieval Latin documents from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the 1292 Codice Diplomatico della Curia Romana, which mentions a certain "Laurentius Sisto" from the city of Rome. Another early example is a 1327 document from the Archivio di Stato di Perugia, which references a "Franciscus Sixto" from the town of Assisi.

The Sisto surname is also associated with the prominent Sisto family of Rome, which produced several notable figures throughout history. One of the most famous was Pope Sixtus IV (Francesco della Rovere, 1414-1484), who reigned from 1471 to 1484 and is known for his extensive patronage of the arts and architecture, including the construction of the Sistine Chapel.

Another notable bearer of the name was the Renaissance humanist and scholar Pietro Sisto (1473-1546), who served as a librarian and secretary to Pope Leo X. He was celebrated for his extensive knowledge of classical literature and his work in preserving and restoring ancient manuscripts.

During the 16th century, the Sisto surname also appeared in various parts of the Italian peninsula, including the regions of Campania and Sicily. One example is the Sicilian poet and playwright Antonio Sisto (1550-1619), who gained fame for his comedic works and contributions to the Sicilian literary tradition.

In the 17th century, the Sisto name can be found in several historical records from the city of Naples, indicating the presence of a branch of the family in that area. One notable figure from this period was the Neapolitan jurist and legal scholar Gian Battista Sisto (1621-1699), who authored several influential treatises on civil and canon law.

Throughout the centuries, the Sisto surname has also been associated with various place names and locations in Italy. For instance, the town of Sisto Campano in the province of Isernia is believed to have been named after a member of the Sisto family, while the Sisto River in the region of Calabria likely derived its name from a similar source.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sisto

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sisto.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sisto was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sisto has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sisto was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sisto, please contact us.

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