2000
#3,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,098
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.74
Uncommon Last name
Valerio
An Italian surname derived from the Latin name Valerius, meaning "to be strong, healthy, or robust."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,509 Americans carry the last name Valerio. That puts it at #2,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Valerio 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 Valerio with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 22,100
Census rank
#2,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,525 bearers of the surname Valerio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Valerio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 71.3%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Valerio
The surname Valerio originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin name "Valerius," which means "strong" or "healthy." The name was particularly common in the regions of Lazio, Tuscany, and Emilia-Romagna.
One of the earliest known records of the name Valerio can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Monastery of Cava dei Tirreni in Campania, dating back to the 11th century. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Amiatinus from the Abbey of Monte Amiata in Tuscany.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Valerio di Nardo was mentioned in the Cronaca di Partenope, a chronicle of Naples. Another notable individual was Valerio Belli, an Italian physician and philosopher who lived from 1468 to 1546 and wrote several medical treatises.
During the Renaissance period, the name Valerio gained popularity among artists and intellectuals. One of the most renowned figures was Valerio Belli (1468-1546), an Italian physician and philosopher who wrote several medical treatises. Another notable individual was Valerio Vicentino (1515-1592), a Renaissance composer and theorist known for his innovative ideas on music.
In the literary world, Valerio Massimo Manfredi (born 1943) is a contemporary Italian historian, archaeologist, and novelist known for his historical fiction novels, such as "The Last Legion" and "The Ancient Curse."
Other historical figures with the surname Valerio include:
- Valerio Marchetti (1624-1695), an Italian mathematician and physicist.
- Valerio Canuti (1590-1622), an Italian painter of the Baroque period.
- Valerio Adami (born 1935), an Italian painter and sculptor associated with the Pop Art movement.
- Valerio Nannini (born 1953), an Italian former professional tennis player.
The surname Valerio has undergone various spelling variations over time, including Valerius, Valerij, and Valeri. It has also been associated with certain place names in Italy, such as the town of Valerio Catullo in the province of Verona.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Valerio
Among Census respondents with the surname Valerio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 71.3%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Valerio 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 Valerio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino71.3% · 9,643
- White20.2% · 2,737
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.3% · 853
- Black or African American1.0% · 136
- Two or more races0.9% · 126
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Valerio
Valerio 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
#2,675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,482
+3,384 bearers (+33.5%)
Per 100,000 4.57
Rank movement Up 573 places
2020
#2,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,525
+43 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 4.52
Rank movement Up 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,248 | 10,098 | 3.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,675 | 13,482 | 4.57 | +3,384 bearers (+33.5%) | Up 573 places |
| 2020 | #2,606 | 13,525 | 4.52 | +43 bearers (+0.3%) | Up 69 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 Valerio 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 | #2,675 | #2,606 | 2.6% |
| Count | 13,482 | 13,525 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.57 | 4.52 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Valerio bearers went from 13,482 to 13,525 (+0.3% change). The surname moved up 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,675 to #2,606.
FAQ
Valerio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Valerio?
Name Census estimates that about 15,509 living Americans carry the surname Valerio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,100 residents.
How common is Valerio?
Valerio ranks #2,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,525 people with the surname Valerio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,509), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Valerio.
Has Valerio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Valerio went from 13,482 recorded bearers to 13,525. That is an increase of 43 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,675 to #2,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Valerio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Valerio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 71.3%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Valerio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.3% (9,643 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Valerio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (71.3%), White (20.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.3%). 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 Valerio (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 Valerio mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin name Valerius, meaning "to be strong, healthy, or robust." 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 Valerio (4.52 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 share the surname Valerio?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.