2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Varsalona
A surname of unclear origin, potentially derived from a place name in Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Varsalona. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varsalona 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Varsalona in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varsalona, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varsalona
The surname VARSALONA is believed to have originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Latin phrase "Versal nomen," which translates to "turned name." This suggests that the name may have been adopted by an individual who changed their original surname for some reason, such as immigration or to avoid persecution.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VARSALONA name can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the city of Genoa, where a merchant named Giovanni VARSALONA is mentioned as conducting trade with the Byzantine Empire. This suggests that the name may have originated in the coastal regions of northern Italy, where maritime commerce was a significant economic activity.
In the 14th century, a Florentine nobleman named Bartolomeo VARSALONA is mentioned in historical records as a prominent figure in the city's political and cultural life. He is known to have commissioned several works of art, including frescoes in the Church of Santa Croce, which still bear his family's coat of arms.
During the Renaissance period, the VARSALONA name gained prominence in the arts and literature. One notable figure was the poet and playwright, Girolamo VARSALONA (1465-1535), who was a member of the Accademia Fiorentina and is credited with popularizing the use of the vernacular language in poetry.
In the 18th century, a military officer named Giuseppe VARSALONA (1720-1798) gained fame for his bravery and strategic skills during the Napoleonic Wars. He rose through the ranks of the Italian Army and was eventually awarded the title of Count by the King of Sardinia for his service.
Another notable figure with the VARSALONA surname was the architect and urban planner, Emilio VARSALONA (1855-1924), who played a significant role in the design and development of modern-day Milan. His most famous work is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a grand shopping arcade that is now a iconic landmark in the city.
While the VARSALONA name has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval and Renaissance periods in Italy, where it was associated with various notable figures in the fields of commerce, arts, literature, and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varsalona
Among Census respondents with the surname Varsalona, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Varsalona 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 Varsalona surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino14.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varsalona
Varsalona 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+22 bearers (+19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,489 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-20 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +22 bearers (+19.0%) | Up 9,489 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 18,963 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 Varsalona 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 | #124,548 | #143,511 | -15.2% |
| Count | 138 | 118 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varsalona bearers went from 138 to 118 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 18,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #143,511.
FAQ
Varsalona surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varsalona?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Varsalona. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Varsalona?
Varsalona ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Varsalona. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Varsalona.
Has Varsalona become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varsalona went from 138 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #124,548 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Varsalona?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varsalona, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Varsalona in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varsalona appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Hispanic (14.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Varsalona (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 Varsalona mean?
A surname of unclear origin, potentially derived from a place name in Italy. 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 Varsalona (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 many people are called Varsalona?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Varsalona at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.