2000
#9,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Vassallo
An occupational surname of Italian origin referring to a vassal or feudal tenant under a lord or king.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,446 Americans carry the last name Vassallo. That puts it at #10,209 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,464 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vassallo 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 Vassallo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 99,464
Census rank
#10,209
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,005 bearers of the surname Vassallo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10209th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vassallo, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vassallo
The surname Vassallo originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "vassallus," which means "vassal" or "feudal tenant." This name was likely given to individuals who held land or property under a lord or nobleman.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Vassallo can be traced back to the 12th century in Sicily. One notable example is the Vassallo family from the town of Modica, who were prominent landowners and nobles during the medieval era. Their coat of arms, which featured a lion rampant, is still visible on various buildings and monuments in the region.
In the 13th century, the name Vassallo appeared in several historical records, including the Angevin registers, which documented landholdings and fiefdoms in southern Italy during the reign of the Angevin dynasty. One notable individual from this period was Guglielmo Vassallo, a knight and landowner who fought in the Sicilian Vespers revolt against the French in 1282.
Over the centuries, the surname Vassallo spread to other parts of Italy and even beyond. In the 15th century, a branch of the family settled in Malta, where the name became prominent among the local nobility and ruling class. One of the most famous Maltese individuals with this surname was Vincenzo Vassallo (1629-1696), a renowned architect and military engineer who designed several fortifications and buildings on the island.
In the 17th century, a Vassallo family from Sicily emigrated to Spain, where they established themselves in the region of Andalusia. One notable member of this branch was Ignacio Vassallo y Candela (1686-1762), a renowned painter and sculptor who worked in the Baroque style.
Another notable individual with the surname Vassallo was Gabriele Vassallo (1828-1909), an Italian politician and journalist who played a significant role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification and independence from foreign rule. He served as a deputy in the Italian parliament and was a prominent advocate for the rights of the Sicilian people.
Throughout history, the surname Vassallo has been associated with nobility, landowners, and influential figures in various fields, including architecture, art, politics, and military service. While the name has its roots in medieval Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and historical connections of the Vassallo families.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vassallo
Among Census respondents with the surname Vassallo, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Vassallo 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 Vassallo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 2,542
- Hispanic or Latino12.9% · 388
- Two or more races1.4% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vassallo
Vassallo 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
#10,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,205
+102 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 436 places
2020
#10,209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,005
-200 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 159 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,614 | 3,103 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,050 | 3,205 | 1.09 | +102 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 436 places |
| 2020 | #10,209 | 3,005 | 1.01 | -200 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 159 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 Vassallo 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 | #10,050 | #10,209 | -1.6% |
| Count | 3,205 | 3,005 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.01 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vassallo bearers went from 3,205 to 3,005 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 159 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,050 to #10,209.
FAQ
Vassallo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vassallo?
Name Census estimates that about 3,446 living Americans carry the surname Vassallo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,464 residents.
How common is Vassallo?
Vassallo ranks #10,209 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,005 people with the surname Vassallo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,446), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vassallo.
Has Vassallo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vassallo went from 3,205 recorded bearers to 3,005. That is a decrease of 200 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,050 to #10,209.
What does the Census say about the background of Vassallo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vassallo, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Vassallo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (2,542 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vassallo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Hispanic (12.9%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Vassallo (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 Vassallo mean?
An occupational surname of Italian origin referring to a vassal or feudal tenant under a lord or king. 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 Vassallo (1.01 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 Vassallo?
Want to know how many people have the last name Vassallo? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.