2000
#21,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Tufano
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "tufo" meaning tuff or volcanic rock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,362 Americans carry the last name Tufano. That puts it at #22,233 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 251,655 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tufano 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
1.4K
1 in 251,655
Census rank
#22,233
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,188 bearers of the surname Tufano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22233rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tufano, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tufano
The surname Tufano is of Italian origin, with its earliest roots traced back to the region of Campania in Southern Italy. It is derived from the Italian word "tufo," which refers to a type of porous volcanic rock found in the area. This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or worked with this type of rock.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tufano can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of historical documents from the city of Bari, dating back to the 12th century. This indicates that the name was already in use during the medieval period in Southern Italy.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Francesco Tufano (1504-1584) was a prominent Italian jurist and legal scholar from Naples. His works on civil law and jurisprudence were highly regarded during his time.
Another historical figure with the surname Tufano was Girolamo Tufano (1579-1638), an Italian painter and artist from Naples. He was known for his religious paintings and works commissioned by churches and nobility in the region.
During the 17th century, a family bearing the name Tufano held significant influence in the city of Sorrento, near Naples. Records show that they were involved in local politics and held positions of power within the community.
In the 19th century, a man named Raffaele Tufano (1822-1897) was a prominent Italian philosopher and writer from Naples. He was known for his works on metaphysics and his contributions to the field of idealist philosophy.
The name Tufano is also associated with various place names in Southern Italy, such as Tufara and Tufariello, which are small towns in the regions of Campania and Basilicata. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa.
Throughout history, the surname Tufano has been found in various parts of Southern Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania, Basilicata, and Puglia. While not as widespread as some other Italian surnames, it has maintained a presence in these areas for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tufano
Among Census respondents with the surname Tufano, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tufano 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 Tufano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,081
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 85
- Two or more races1.0% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 6
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tufano
Tufano 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
#21,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,180
+32 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 713 places
2020
#22,233
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,188
+8 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 247 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,273 | 1,148 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,986 | 1,180 | 0.40 | +32 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 713 places |
| 2020 | #22,233 | 1,188 | 0.40 | +8 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 247 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 Tufano 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 | #21,986 | #22,233 | -1.1% |
| Count | 1,180 | 1,188 | 0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.40 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tufano bearers went from 1,180 to 1,188 (+0.7% change). The surname moved down 247 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,986 to #22,233.
FAQ
Tufano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tufano?
Name Census estimates that about 1,362 living Americans carry the surname Tufano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 251,655 residents.
How common is Tufano?
Tufano ranks #22,233 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.40 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 1,188 people with the surname Tufano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,362), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.40 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 Tufano.
Has Tufano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tufano went from 1,180 recorded bearers to 1,188. That is an increase of 8 (+0.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,986 to #22,233.
What does the Census say about the background of Tufano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tufano, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Tufano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,081 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tufano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (7.2%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Tufano (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 Tufano mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "tufo" meaning tuff or volcanic rock. 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 Tufano (0.40 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 last name Tufano?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Tufano on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.