2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tutera
An Italian surname perhaps derived from the Latin word "tutor" implying one who guards or protects.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Tutera. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tutera 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Tutera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tutera, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tutera
The surname Tutera has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Sicily. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Latin word "tutus," which means "safe" or "protected," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been individuals who provided security or protection to others.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Tutera can be found in a document from the town of Palermo, dated 1342. This document refers to a certain "Giovanni Tutera," who was a landowner and farmer in the area. Another early reference is found in a 15th-century manuscript from the city of Catania, which mentions a "Tommaso Tutera," a local merchant and trader.
During the Renaissance period, the name Tutera gained prominence in Sicily, particularly in the areas around Mount Etna. There are records of several Tutera families owning vineyards and olive groves in these regions. One notable figure from this era was Vincenzo Tutera (1520-1587), a renowned painter and fresco artist who decorated many churches and public buildings in Catania and surrounding towns.
In the 17th century, the Tutera name spread to other parts of Italy, including Naples and Rome. Pietro Tutera (1615-1678), a Sicilian-born architect, is credited with designing several notable buildings in Rome, including the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone. Another individual of note was Girolamo Tutera (1670-1743), a Jesuit scholar and theologian who taught at the prestigious Collegio Romano.
As the centuries passed, the Tutera surname continued to be associated with various professions and accomplishments. In the 19th century, Giuseppe Tutera (1822-1892) was a prominent lawyer and politician from Palermo, who served as a member of the Italian Parliament. More recently, Salvatore Tutera (1907-1988) was a respected linguist and philologist, known for his contributions to the study of Sicilian dialects.
It is important to note that while the surname Tutera has its roots in Sicily, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich heritage and significance of this surname within Italian and Sicilian culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tutera
Among Census respondents with the surname Tutera, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tutera 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 Tutera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino12.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tutera
Tutera 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+12 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,430 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-9 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 2,430 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 9,894 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 Tutera 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 | #137,327 | #147,221 | -7.2% |
| Count | 122 | 113 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tutera bearers went from 122 to 113 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 9,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #147,221.
FAQ
Tutera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tutera?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Tutera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Tutera?
Tutera ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Tutera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Tutera.
Has Tutera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tutera went from 122 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Tutera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tutera, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%). 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 Tutera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tutera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (12.4%). 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 Tutera (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 Tutera mean?
An Italian surname perhaps derived from the Latin word "tutor" implying one who guards or protects. 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 Tutera (0.04 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 common is the surname Tutera?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Tutera? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.