Find out how popular the last name Toscano is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Toscano.

Toscano, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Toscano surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toscano in America

Toscano is the 3807th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toscano surname appeared 9,301 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Toscano.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toscano to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Toscano

The surname Toscano is of Italian origin, specifically derived from the region of Tuscany. It emerged in the medieval period, around the 12th century, as a toponymic surname denoting someone who hailed from or resided in Tuscany.

The name is believed to have evolved from the Latin word "Tuscanus," which referred to the Etruscan people who inhabited the area now known as Tuscany. The root of this word can be traced back to the ancient Etruscan language, although its precise etymology remains uncertain.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Toscano can be found in a document from the city of Pisa, dated 1186. This document mentions a certain "Guido Toscano," who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.

As the name spread beyond Tuscany, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Toscani, Toscan, and Toscanelli. One notable bearer of the name was the celebrated Renaissance mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli (1397-1482), who corresponded with Christopher Columbus and is credited with inspiring his voyage to the Americas.

Another prominent figure bearing the Toscano surname was the Italian painter and sculptor Andrea Toscano (c. 1560-1610), whose works adorned churches and palaces throughout Naples and its surrounding areas.

In the 18th century, the Toscano name gained recognition through the works of the Neapolitan philosopher and jurist Ferdinando Toscano (1718-1794), whose treatises on natural law and civil rights influenced the development of modern legal theory.

During the Risorgimento, the Italian unification movement of the 19th century, the Toscano name was associated with several prominent figures, including the patriot and military leader Enrico Toscano (1815-1880), who fought alongside Giuseppe Garibaldi in the struggle for Italian independence.

Another notable bearer of the Toscano name was the Italian composer and pianist Giovanni Toscano (1860-1932), whose works blended traditional Neapolitan melodies with contemporary classical styles.

While the Toscano surname originated in Tuscany, it has since spread throughout Italy and to other parts of the world, carried by generations of immigrants and their descendants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toscano

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Toscano.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Toscano was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Toscano has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Toscano was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Toscano, please contact us.

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