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

Valentino, 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 Valentino surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valentino in America

Valentino is the 5376th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valentino surname appeared 6,474 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 Valentino.

We can also compare 2010 data for Valentino 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 Valentino

The surname Valentino originated in Italy, with its earliest recorded usage dating back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Latin name Valentinus, which itself stems from the word "valens," meaning "strong" or "vigorous." The name was initially associated with the Catholic Saint Valentine, whose feast day is celebrated on February 14th.

In its early days, the Valentino surname was predominantly found in various regions of central and southern Italy, including Rome, Naples, and Sicily. It is believed to have been adopted by families who either lived near churches or shrines dedicated to Saint Valentine, or who held a particular devotion to the saint.

One of the earliest documented records of the Valentino surname can be found in the archives of the Vatican, where a certain Giovanni Valentino is mentioned as a papal scribe in the 14th century. Another notable early reference comes from a 15th-century manuscript in the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, which lists a Niccolò Valentino as a prominent merchant in the city of Florence.

Over the centuries, the Valentino surname has been associated with several notable individuals. In the 16th century, Gian Giacomo Valentino (c. 1520 - c. 1590) was a renowned architect and engineer who worked on numerous projects in Rome and the surrounding areas. During the Renaissance period, the painter Valentino Urbini (c. 1570 - c. 1630) gained recognition for his religious works and portraits.

In more recent times, the fashion designer Valentino Garavani (born 1932) has undoubtedly become one of the most famous bearers of the Valentino surname. His luxury fashion house, founded in 1959, has played a significant role in shaping the world of haute couture and establishing the Valentino name as a global brand.

Other notable individuals with the Valentino surname include the Italian conductor and composer Vincenzo Valentino Galilei (c. 1520 - 1591), who was a pioneer in the development of the Baroque style, and the American singer and actor Bobby Valentino (born Robert Wilson, 1980), known for his contributions to the R&B and hip-hop genres.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valentino

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

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

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

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