2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tortomasi
An Italian surname meaning "from Tortona" (a town in northwest Italy).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Tortomasi. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tortomasi 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Tortomasi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tortomasi, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tortomasi
The surname Tortomasi originates from Italy, specifically the region of Sicily, and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "tortus," meaning twisted or crooked, possibly referring to a physical characteristic or a location. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the Norman conquest of Sicily in the late 11th century.
One of the earliest known references to the name Tortomasi can be found in the Monreale Cathedral archives, a renowned Norman-Byzantine monument located in the city of Monreale, near Palermo. The document, dated around 1182, mentions a certain "Matteo Tortomasi" as a landowner in the area.
During the 13th century, the Tortomasi family emerged as a prominent noble family in the region of Agrigento, with several members holding important positions within the local government and ecclesiastical authorities. One notable figure was Gaspare Tortomasi, born in 1275, who served as a magistrate and advisor to the ruling House of Aragon.
In the 15th century, the Tortomasi family expanded their influence to the city of Palermo, where they became renowned for their involvement in the silk trade and the production of fine fabrics. Antonio Tortomasi, born in 1412, was a prominent merchant and patron of the arts, known for his support of local artists and the commissioning of various works of art.
During the Renaissance period, the Tortomasi family continued to play a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of Sicily. Vincenzo Tortomasi, born in 1542, was a renowned scholar and humanist, known for his contributions to the study of classical literature and his extensive library, which was considered one of the largest private collections in Europe at the time.
In the 18th century, the Tortomasi family produced several notable figures in the field of law and jurisprudence. Ferdinando Tortomasi, born in 1712, was a highly respected judge and legal scholar, known for his influential writings on Sicilian law and his efforts to reform the judicial system.
Throughout its history, the Tortomasi surname has also been associated with various place names and alternative spellings, such as Tortomacia, Tortomachi, and Tortomasso, reflecting the linguistic diversity and regional variations within Sicily and the broader Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tortomasi
Among Census respondents with the surname Tortomasi, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tortomasi 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 Tortomasi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino10.1% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tortomasi
Tortomasi 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+8 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,124 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-10 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,553 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 1,124 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 5,553 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 Tortomasi 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 | #150,452 | #156,005 | -3.7% |
| Count | 109 | 99 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tortomasi bearers went from 109 to 99 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 5,553 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #156,005.
FAQ
Tortomasi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tortomasi?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Tortomasi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Tortomasi?
Tortomasi ranks #156,005 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 99 people with the surname Tortomasi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), 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 Tortomasi.
Has Tortomasi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tortomasi went from 109 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 10 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Tortomasi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tortomasi, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Tortomasi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tortomasi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Hispanic (10.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Tortomasi (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 Tortomasi mean?
An Italian surname meaning "from Tortona" (a town in northwest Italy). 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 Tortomasi (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 have the surname Tortomasi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.