2000
#4,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,672
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.47
Rare Last name
Vaccaro
An occupational Italian surname referring to a cowherd or one who tends cattle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,120 Americans carry the last name Vaccaro. That puts it at #5,426 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,140 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vaccaro 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Vaccaro with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,140
Census rank
#5,426
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,209 bearers of the surname Vaccaro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5426th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaccaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vaccaro
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaccaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Vaccaro 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 Vaccaro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 5,663
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 333
- Two or more races2.0% · 125
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 54
- Black or African American0.4% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vaccaro
Vaccaro 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
#5,169
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,766
+94 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 2.29
Rank movement Down 341 places
2020
#5,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,209
-557 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Down 257 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,828 | 6,672 | 2.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,169 | 6,766 | 2.29 | +94 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 341 places |
| 2020 | #5,426 | 6,209 | 2.08 | -557 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 257 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 Vaccaro 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 | #5,169 | #5,426 | -5.0% |
| Count | 6,766 | 6,209 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.29 | 2.08 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vaccaro bearers went from 6,766 to 6,209 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 257 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,169 to #5,426.
FAQ
Vaccaro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vaccaro?
Name Census estimates that about 7,120 living Americans carry the surname Vaccaro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,140 residents.
How common is Vaccaro?
Vaccaro ranks #5,426 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,209 people with the surname Vaccaro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Vaccaro.
Has Vaccaro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vaccaro went from 6,766 recorded bearers to 6,209. That is a decrease of 557 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,169 to #5,426.
What does the Census say about the background of Vaccaro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vaccaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (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 Vaccaro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (5,663 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vaccaro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (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 Vaccaro (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 Vaccaro mean?
An occupational Italian surname referring to a cowherd or one who tends cattle. 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 Vaccaro (2.08 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 are called Vaccaro?
You can see how many people have the surname Vaccaro on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.