2000
#7,733
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,961
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.47
Rare Last name
Tarantino
Derived from the Italian place name Taranto, likely referring to an ancestor who originated from that city.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,361 Americans carry the last name Tarantino. That puts it at #8,338 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,595 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tarantino 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
4.4K
1 in 78,595
Census rank
#8,338
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,803 bearers of the surname Tarantino in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8338th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarantino, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tarantino
The surname Tarantino is of Italian origin, originating from the region of Campania, particularly the city of Taranto. The name is derived from the Latin word "Tarentum," which was the ancient name for the city of Taranto. This city was a major Greek colony in southern Italy, known for its strategic location and maritime trade.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Tarantino can be traced back to the 14th century in various historical documents from the region of Campania. In these records, the name appeared in different spellings, such as "Tarentino" and "Tarantini," reflecting the influence of local dialects and variations in transcription over time.
One notable historical reference to the name Tarantino can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Normanno di Aversa," a collection of documents from the Norman period in southern Italy, dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. While the name itself is not mentioned, the city of Taranto and its inhabitants are referenced, providing insight into the region's history and the potential origins of the surname.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Tarantino was Giovanni Tarantino, a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of Taranto who lived during the 15th century. Another notable figure was Niccolò Tarantino, a renowned painter and fresco artist active in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, whose works can be found in various churches and monasteries throughout southern Italy.
In the 17th century, Francesco Tarantino, a Jesuit scholar and philosopher, gained recognition for his contributions to the field of metaphysics and his teachings at the University of Naples. Around the same period, Girolamo Tarantino, a lawyer and judge, played a significant role in shaping the legal system in the Kingdom of Naples.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Giuseppe Tarantino, a composer and music teacher from Naples, made valuable contributions to the city's cultural landscape. His compositions for Opera and sacred music were widely acclaimed and performed throughout Italy.
Throughout history, the surname Tarantino has been associated with various professions, including merchants, artists, scholars, and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who bore this name. While the name's roots can be traced back to the city of Taranto, its presence has spread across Italy and beyond, carrying with it a rich heritage and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tarantino
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarantino, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Tarantino 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 Tarantino surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 3,462
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 199
- Two or more races2.2% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tarantino
Tarantino 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
#7,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,158
+197 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 223 places
2020
#8,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,803
-355 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 382 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,733 | 3,961 | 1.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,956 | 4,158 | 1.41 | +197 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 223 places |
| 2020 | #8,338 | 3,803 | 1.27 | -355 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 382 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 Tarantino 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 | #7,956 | #8,338 | -4.8% |
| Count | 4,158 | 3,803 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.27 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tarantino bearers went from 4,158 to 3,803 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 382 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,956 to #8,338.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tarantino
FAQ
Tarantino surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tarantino?
Name Census estimates that about 4,361 living Americans carry the surname Tarantino. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,595 residents.
How common is Tarantino?
Tarantino ranks #8,338 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,803 people with the surname Tarantino. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,361), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Tarantino.
Has Tarantino become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tarantino went from 4,158 recorded bearers to 3,803. That is a decrease of 355 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,956 to #8,338.
What does the Census say about the background of Tarantino?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tarantino, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Tarantino in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (3,462 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tarantino appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Tarantino (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 Tarantino mean?
Derived from the Italian place name Taranto, likely referring to an ancestor who originated from that city. 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 Tarantino (1.27 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 share the surname Tarantino?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.