2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tempero
A Spanish and Italian surname referring to seasoning or spice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Tempero. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tempero 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Tempero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tempero, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tempero
The surname Tempero is of Portuguese origin, originating in the 14th century in the region of Minho, northern Portugal. It is derived from the Portuguese word "temperar," which means "to season" or "to temper," referring to the occupation of a spice merchant or someone involved in the preparation and seasoning of food.
The earliest recorded instances of the Tempero surname can be found in historical documents from the late 14th century, such as municipal records and parish registers in the towns of Braga and Guimarães. These early records often featured variations in spelling, including Tempeiro, Tempeyro, and Tempero.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the Tempero surname was João Tempero, a renowned spice trader from Porto who established trade routes with the Middle East and Asia, importing exotic spices and herbs into Portugal. His legacy as a successful merchant contributed to the association of the name with the spice trade.
Another notable individual was Sebastião Tempero (1570-1635), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the East Indies and the Moluccas. His accounts and maps from these voyages provided valuable insights into the region's geography and trade routes.
During the 17th century, the Tempero surname gained prominence in the Azores archipelago, where several families settled and established themselves as landowners and merchants. One such individual was Manuel Tempero (1620-1688), a wealthy landowner and trader from the island of Terceira, known for his philanthropic contributions to the local community.
In the 19th century, a celebrated figure was Antónia Tempero (1815-1892), a Portuguese writer and educator from Lisbon. She authored several books on education and literature, advocating for women's rights and educational opportunities.
Another notable Tempero was João Tempero (1845-1918), a prominent architect from Porto who designed several iconic buildings in the city, including the Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace) and the Igreja dos Clérigos (Clerigos Church).
Throughout its history, the Tempero surname has been associated with various professions, including spice traders, merchants, explorers, landowners, writers, and architects, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tempero
Among Census respondents with the surname Tempero, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tempero 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 Tempero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 97
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tempero
Tempero 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,949 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 8,949 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 2,454 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 Tempero 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 | #156,044 | #153,590 | 1.6% |
| Count | 104 | 104 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tempero bearers went from 104 to 104 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 2,454 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #153,590.
FAQ
Tempero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tempero?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Tempero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Tempero?
Tempero ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Tempero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Tempero.
Has Tempero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tempero went from 104 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Tempero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tempero, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Tempero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tempero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Black (1.9%). 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 Tempero (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 Tempero mean?
A Spanish and Italian surname referring to seasoning or spice. 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 Tempero (0.03 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 Tempero?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.