2000
#15,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,755
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Spadaro
Originally a Sicilian surname meaning "swordsman" or "fencer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,866 Americans carry the last name Spadaro. That puts it at #17,042 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 183,684 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spadaro 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
1.9K
1 in 183,684
Census rank
#17,042
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,627 bearers of the surname Spadaro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17042nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spadaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spadaro
The surname Spadaro originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is derived from the Italian word "spada," meaning "sword," which indicates that the name was likely given to someone who was a swordsmith or a skilled swordsman.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Spadaro can be traced back to the 12th century in Sicily. In the year 1198, a document from the city of Messina mentions a certain "Guglielmo Spadaro," suggesting that the name was already in use during that time.
Spadaro is also found in some of the oldest Italian records, such as the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of documents from the city of Bari dating back to the 11th century. This further reinforces the ancient roots of the name in southern Italy.
During the Middle Ages, the Spadaro family was known to have held positions of prominence in various Sicilian and Calabrian towns. For instance, in the 14th century, a member of the Spadaro family served as the mayor of the town of Reggio Calabria.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Spadaro was Vincenzo Spadaro, born in Messina in 1454. He was a renowned poet and scholar during the Renaissance period, and his works were widely celebrated in literary circles of the time.
Another notable individual was Girolamo Spadaro, born in Palermo in 1592. He was a prominent lawyer and legal scholar who authored several influential treatises on Sicilian law and jurisprudence.
The Spadaro name also has connections to the Catholic Church. In the 16th century, Baldassare Spadaro (1510-1588) was a Sicilian priest and theologian who played a significant role in the Council of Trent, one of the most important ecumenical councils in the history of the Catholic Church.
During the 17th century, the Spadaro family spread to other parts of Italy, including the region of Campania. In Naples, there was a renowned painter named Micco Spadaro (1609-1675), whose works adorned many churches and noble palaces in the city.
In the 18th century, a notable figure was Giuseppe Spadaro (1725-1795), a Sicilian architect and engineer who was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and structures in Palermo, including the Palazzo Municipale (City Hall) and the Fontana Pretoria (Praetorian Fountain).
Throughout its history, the surname Spadaro has been associated with various professions, from artists and scholars to lawyers and clergy members, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spadaro
Among Census respondents with the surname Spadaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Spadaro 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 Spadaro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 1,484
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 72
- Two or more races3.0% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 13
- Black or African American0.6% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spadaro
Spadaro 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
#16,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,765
+10 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 967 places
2020
#17,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,627
-138 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Down 715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,360 | 1,755 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,327 | 1,765 | 0.60 | +10 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 967 places |
| 2020 | #17,042 | 1,627 | 0.54 | -138 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 715 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 Spadaro 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 | #16,327 | #17,042 | -4.4% |
| Count | 1,765 | 1,627 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.54 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spadaro bearers went from 1,765 to 1,627 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 715 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,327 to #17,042.
FAQ
Spadaro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spadaro?
Name Census estimates that about 1,866 living Americans carry the surname Spadaro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 183,684 residents.
How common is Spadaro?
Spadaro ranks #17,042 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.54 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 1,627 people with the surname Spadaro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,866), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.54 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 Spadaro.
Has Spadaro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spadaro went from 1,765 recorded bearers to 1,627. That is a decrease of 138 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,327 to #17,042.
What does the Census say about the background of Spadaro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spadaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Spadaro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (1,484 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spadaro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Spadaro (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 Spadaro mean?
Originally a Sicilian surname meaning "swordsman" or "fencer." 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 Spadaro (0.54 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 surname Spadaro?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.