2000
#10,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,920
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Vecchio
An Italian surname meaning "old" or "elder," often referring to the oldest male member of a family.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,189 Americans carry the last name Vecchio. That puts it at #10,936 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vecchio 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
3.2K
1 in 107,480
Census rank
#10,936
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,781 bearers of the surname Vecchio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10936th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vecchio, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vecchio
The surname Vecchio originated in Italy, believed to have roots dating back to the medieval period. It derives from the Italian word "vecchio," meaning "old" or "ancient." This moniker was likely bestowed upon individuals who lived in older parts of towns or cities, or had connections to long-standing families.
The name Vecchio can be traced to various regions across Italy, including Sicily, Calabria, and Campania. Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries document the presence of families bearing this surname, suggesting its widespread use during that era.
One of the earliest known references to the Vecchio name can be found in the Sicilian Rolls, a collection of medieval documents from the 14th century. These records mention individuals with variations of the spelling, such as "Vecchio," "Vecchiu," and "Vechio."
A notable figure from history associated with the Vecchio surname is Girolamo Vecchio, a Sicilian painter and architect who lived from 1486 to 1546. His works can be found adorning churches and palaces throughout Sicily, showcasing his artistic talents during the Renaissance period.
Another prominent individual bearing this surname was Palma il Vecchio, born Jacopo Negretti Vecchio in 1480 in Venice. He was a renowned Venetian Renaissance painter, celebrated for his religious and mythological works, and considered a influential figure in the Venetian School of painting.
During the 15th century, the Vecchio family held significant influence in the city of Messina, Sicily. Historical accounts mention Antonio Vecchio, a wealthy merchant and landowner, who played a vital role in the city's economic and political affairs.
In the 17th century, the Vecchio surname gained prominence in Naples, where the family owned estates and held noble titles. One notable figure was Marchese Gian Battista Vecchio, a respected statesman and diplomat who served at the court of the Spanish Viceroys of Naples.
Throughout the centuries, the Vecchio surname has been associated with various place names, such as Castel Vecchio (meaning "Old Castle") in Verona and Palazzo Vecchio ("Old Palace") in Florence, reflecting the historical ties of families with this name to these locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vecchio
Among Census respondents with the surname Vecchio, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vecchio 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 Vecchio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 2,459
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 242
- Two or more races1.9% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vecchio
Vecchio 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
#10,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,909
-11 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 805 places
2020
#10,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,781
-128 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,142 | 2,920 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,947 | 2,909 | 0.99 | -11 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 805 places |
| 2020 | #10,936 | 2,781 | 0.93 | -128 bearers (-4.4%) | Up 11 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 Vecchio 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 | #10,947 | #10,936 | 0.1% |
| Count | 2,909 | 2,781 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.93 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vecchio bearers went from 2,909 to 2,781 (-4.4% change). The surname moved up 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,947 to #10,936.
FAQ
Vecchio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vecchio?
Name Census estimates that about 3,189 living Americans carry the surname Vecchio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,480 residents.
How common is Vecchio?
Vecchio ranks #10,936 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 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 2,781 people with the surname Vecchio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,189), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 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 Vecchio.
Has Vecchio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vecchio went from 2,909 recorded bearers to 2,781. That is a decrease of 128 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,947 to #10,936.
What does the Census say about the background of Vecchio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vecchio, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Vecchio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (2,459 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vecchio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Hispanic (8.7%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Vecchio (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 Vecchio mean?
An Italian surname meaning "old" or "elder," often referring to the oldest male member of a family. 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 Vecchio (0.93 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 Vecchio?
Find out how common the surname Vecchio is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.