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

Spoto, 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 Spoto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Spoto in America

Spoto is the 24531st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spoto surname appeared 1,019 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Spoto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Spoto 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 Spoto

The surname Spoto is of Italian origin, originating in the southern regions of Italy, particularly Sicily and Calabria. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "spodos," meaning "ashes" or "cinders," potentially referring to the occupation of an ancestor who worked with ashes or cinders, such as a charcoal maker or potter.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Spoto can be traced back to the 16th century in Sicilian records and documents. One notable reference is found in the municipal archives of Palermo, where a certain Vincenzo Spoto was mentioned as a landowner in the year 1589.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Spoto appeared in various Sicilian towns and villages, often associated with agricultural or artisanal professions. For instance, Francesco Spoto (1642-1712) was a renowned potter from the town of Caltagirone, known for his exquisite ceramic works.

As the name spread throughout the Italian peninsula, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Spotti, Spotta, and Spoto. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and local pronunciation differences.

In the 19th century, the name Spoto gained prominence with several notable figures. One such individual was Giuseppe Spoto (1824-1892), a celebrated Sicilian composer and musician who composed operas and various orchestral works.

Another notable bearer of the name was Domenico Spoto (1865-1927), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament, representing the region of Calabria.

While the name Spoto is predominantly found in Italy, it has also been carried by individuals of Italian descent in other parts of the world, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Argentina, where significant Italian immigration occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Some other notable individuals with the surname Spoto include:

1. Antonio Spoto (1876-1959), an Italian sculptor known for his religious works.
2. Maria Spoto (1908-1995), an Italian-American author and educator.
3. Luciano Spoto (born 1940), an Italian-American crime novelist and screenwriter.
4. Donald Spoto (1941-2023), an American biographer and author known for his works on Hollywood legends.
5. Angelo Spoto (born 1963), an Italian-Canadian soccer player and coach.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Spoto

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

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 Spoto 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 Spoto 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 Spoto was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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