2000
#72,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 250
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Stillo
An Italian surname originating as a nickname for a thin, slender person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 274 Americans carry the last name Stillo. That puts it at #84,529 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,250,928 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stillo 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
274
1 in 1,250,928
Census rank
#84,529
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
239
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 239 bearers of the surname Stillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 84529th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stillo, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stillo
The surname Stillo has its origins in Italy, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "stillo," which means "to drip" or "to drop." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a water source or a place where water dripped or dropped.
The name Stillo was particularly prevalent in the regions of Calabria and Sicily, where it is thought to have originated. Some of the earliest known records of the name can be found in ancient manuscripts and documents from these areas, including mentions in local church records and land registries.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Stillo can be traced back to a man named Giovanni Stillo, who lived in the town of Reggio Calabria in the late 13th century. He was mentioned in a legal document from 1287, which recorded a land transaction involving his family.
Another notable individual with the surname Stillo was Francesco Stillo, a Italian philosopher and scholar who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his works on logic and metaphysics, and his writings were widely studied and discussed during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, a family bearing the name Stillo was recorded as residing in the town of Messina, Sicily. This family was involved in the local silk trade and had amassed considerable wealth and influence in the region.
During the 17th century, a man named Domenico Stillo gained recognition as a skilled architect and engineer. He was responsible for designing several prominent buildings and structures in the city of Naples, including the Church of Santa Maria della Sanità.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname Stillo was Giuseppe Stillo, a Italian poet and playwright. He was born in Reggio Calabria in 1720 and is best known for his works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
As the centuries progressed, the name Stillo continued to be found across various parts of Italy, with families bearing this surname establishing themselves in cities and towns throughout the country. While the name may have originated from a specific geographic location or occupation, it eventually spread and became more widely distributed.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Stillo, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Stillo 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 Stillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 206
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 23
- Two or more races2.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stillo
Stillo 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
#77,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 249
-1 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 4,546 places
2020
#84,529
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 239
-10 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 7,517 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #72,466 | 250 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77,012 | 249 | 0.08 | -1 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 4,546 places |
| 2020 | #84,529 | 239 | 0.08 | -10 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 7,517 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 Stillo 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 | #77,012 | #84,529 | -9.8% |
| Count | 249 | 239 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stillo bearers went from 249 to 239 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 7,517 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,012 to #84,529.
FAQ
Stillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stillo?
Name Census estimates that about 274 living Americans carry the surname Stillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,250,928 residents.
How common is Stillo?
Stillo ranks #84,529 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 239 people with the surname Stillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (274), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Stillo.
Has Stillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stillo went from 249 recorded bearers to 239. That is a decrease of 10 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #77,012 to #84,529.
What does the Census say about the background of Stillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stillo, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Stillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (206 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Hispanic (9.6%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Stillo (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 Stillo mean?
An Italian surname originating as a nickname for a thin, slender person. 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 Stillo (0.08 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 Stillo?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Stillo, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.