2000
#5,245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.27
Rare Last name
Tedesco
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone from Germany or a German-speaking region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,554 Americans carry the last name Tedesco. That puts it at #5,829 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,297 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tedesco 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tedesco with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 52,297
Census rank
#5,829
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,715 bearers of the surname Tedesco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5829th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tedesco, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tedesco
The surname Tedesco is of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word "tedesco," which means "German." This name likely originated in Italy during the Middle Ages, when it was used to identify individuals who had some connection to Germany or were of German descent.
The earliest known record of the name Tedesco can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern regions where there was more frequent interaction with German-speaking populations. The name may have been given to individuals who were born in Germany or had German ancestors, or it could have been a descriptive name for those who spoke German or had German cultural ties.
In some cases, the name Tedesco may have been associated with trade or commerce, as Italian merchants and traders often had dealings with German counterparts during the medieval and Renaissance periods. It is possible that the name was adopted by Italian families involved in such activities.
One notable early bearer of the name was Giovanni Tedesco, a 14th-century Italian architect and sculptor who worked on several important projects in Florence, including the Basilica of Santa Croce and the Palazzo Vecchio.
Another significant figure with the surname Tedesco was Niccolo Tedesco, a 15th-century Italian painter active in Venice. He was known for his religious works and contributed to the decoration of several churches in the city.
In the 16th century, the name Tedesco appears in the records of the Venetian Republic, where a family with this surname held influential positions in the government and military. One member, Antonio Tedesco (1520-1592), served as a naval commander and played a crucial role in the Battle of Lepanto against the Ottoman Empire.
During the 17th century, the Tedesco family was prominent in the city of Naples, where they were involved in various professions, including law, medicine, and the clergy. One notable figure was Carlo Tedesco (1629-1698), a Neapolitan lawyer and writer who authored several legal treatises.
In the 18th century, the name Tedesco was found in the records of the Papal States, where a family with this surname held land and titles. One member, Giuseppe Tedesco (1725-1798), was a nobleman and landowner who played a role in the administration of the Papal territories.
While the Tedesco surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to immigration and has been adopted by individuals of various ethnic backgrounds, particularly those with Italian ancestry or connections.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tedesco
Among Census respondents with the surname Tedesco, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tedesco 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 Tedesco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 5,212
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 311
- Two or more races2.1% · 120
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 45
- Black or African American0.4% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tedesco
Tedesco 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
#5,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,133
+19 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Down 415 places
2020
#5,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,715
-418 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Down 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,245 | 6,114 | 2.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,660 | 6,133 | 2.08 | +19 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 415 places |
| 2020 | #5,829 | 5,715 | 1.91 | -418 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 169 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 Tedesco 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 | #5,660 | #5,829 | -3.0% |
| Count | 6,133 | 5,715 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.08 | 1.91 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tedesco bearers went from 6,133 to 5,715 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,660 to #5,829.
FAQ
Tedesco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tedesco?
Name Census estimates that about 6,554 living Americans carry the surname Tedesco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,297 residents.
How common is Tedesco?
Tedesco ranks #5,829 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,715 people with the surname Tedesco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,554), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Tedesco.
Has Tedesco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tedesco went from 6,133 recorded bearers to 5,715. That is a decrease of 418 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,660 to #5,829.
What does the Census say about the background of Tedesco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tedesco, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) 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 Tedesco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (5,212 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tedesco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (5.4%), 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 Tedesco (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 Tedesco mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone from Germany or a German-speaking region. 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 Tedesco (1.91 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 are called Tedesco?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Tedesco at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.