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

Vaccaro, 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 Vaccaro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vaccaro in America

Vaccaro is the 5169th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vaccaro surname appeared 6,766 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Vaccaro.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vaccaro 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 Vaccaro

The surname Vaccaro is of Italian origin, originating from the regions of Sicily, Calabria, and Campania. It is derived from the Italian word "vaccaro," which means "cowherd" or "cattle herder." This occupational surname was historically given to individuals whose primary livelihood was tending to cattle and other livestock.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Vaccaro can be traced back to the 13th century in various medieval records and manuscripts from southern Italy. One notable example is a document from 1275 mentioning a certain Guglielmo Vaccaro, a cattle herder from the town of Palermo, Sicily.

In the 14th century, the surname Vaccaro appeared in the Catasto Onciario, a tax record from the Kingdom of Naples. This document lists several individuals with the surname, including Nicola Vaccaro, a resident of the town of Sorrento, born around 1320.

During the Renaissance period, the Vaccaro family gained prominence in the city of Naples. Andrea Vaccaro (1598-1670) was a renowned Italian painter and sculptor who specialized in religious works and is considered one of the most important Neapolitan artists of the 17th century.

Another notable figure was Domenico Vaccaro (1678-1745), an Italian architect and sculptor from Naples. He was responsible for designing several churches and palaces in the Baroque style, including the Church of San Francesco di Paola in Naples.

In the 19th century, the surname Vaccaro was also present in other regions of Italy. Giuseppe Vaccaro (1836-1912) was a Sicilian poet and playwright from the town of Palermo, known for his works in the Sicilian dialect.

Other historical figures with the surname Vaccaro include Vincenzo Vaccaro (1896-1967), an Italian politician and journalist from Calabria, and Gino Vaccaro (1910-1977), an Italian actor and screenwriter who appeared in numerous films during the golden age of Italian cinema.

It is worth noting that variations of the surname Vaccaro exist, such as Vaccarini, Vaccarella, and Vaccariello, which are also derived from the same occupational root but may have originated in different regions of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vaccaro

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

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 Vaccaro 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 Vaccaro 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 Vaccaro was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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