2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vascellaro
An Italian surname derived from the word "vascello" meaning "vessel" or "ship," potentially referring to an occupation related to seafaring or shipbuilding.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Vascellaro. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vascellaro 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Vascellaro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vascellaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vascellaro
The surname Vascellaro has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Sicily. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "vascello," which means "ship" or "vessel," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with maritime activities or lived near a port.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vascellaro can be found in the archives of the city of Palermo, where a document from the year 1348 mentions a certain "Antonius Vascellaro." This suggests that the name was already established in Sicily by the mid-14th century.
During the 15th century, the Vascellaro family appears to have gained prominence in the city of Messina, a major port in northeastern Sicily. Records from this period indicate that several members of the family were involved in maritime trade and shipbuilding.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Vascellaro was Giacomo Vascellaro (c. 1520-1585), a skilled navigator and cartographer from Messina. He is credited with creating some of the earliest detailed maps of the Sicilian coastline and the surrounding waters.
Another prominent individual with the surname Vascellaro was Francesco Vascellaro (1688-1754), a renowned architect from Palermo. He was responsible for designing several churches and palaces in the city, including the Church of San Domenico and the Palazzo Trabia.
In the 19th century, the Vascellaro family expanded beyond Sicily, with some members settling in other parts of Italy and even emigrating to other countries. One notable figure from this period was Giuseppe Vascellaro (1815-1892), a writer and poet from Messina who published several works celebrating Sicilian culture and traditions.
Throughout its history, the surname Vascellaro has been associated with various place names and geographic locations in Sicily. For example, there is a small village called Vascellaro located in the province of Messina, which may have served as the origin or namesake for some branches of the family.
While the surname Vascellaro is not among the most common in Italy, it has a rich history and a strong connection to the maritime heritage of Sicily. Its enduring presence over the centuries serves as a testament to the region's seafaring traditions and the contributions of the Vascellaro family to the cultural and architectural landscape of the island.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vascellaro
Among Census respondents with the surname Vascellaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Vascellaro 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 Vascellaro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vascellaro
Vascellaro appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,892 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 Vascellaro 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 | #140,157 | #142,049 | -1.3% |
| Count | 119 | 120 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vascellaro bearers went from 119 to 120 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 1,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #142,049.
FAQ
Vascellaro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vascellaro?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Vascellaro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Vascellaro?
Vascellaro ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Vascellaro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Vascellaro.
Has Vascellaro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vascellaro went from 119 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Vascellaro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vascellaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Vascellaro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vascellaro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Vascellaro (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 Vascellaro mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "vascello" meaning "vessel" or "ship," potentially referring to an occupation related to seafaring or shipbuilding. 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 Vascellaro (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 Americans have the surname Vascellaro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.