2000
#40,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 506
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Viscuso
An Italian surname derived from the word "visco" meaning mistletoe, possibly denoting a location or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 613 Americans carry the last name Viscuso. That puts it at #43,505 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 559,142 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Viscuso 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
613
1 in 559,142
Census rank
#43,505
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
535
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 535 bearers of the surname Viscuso in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 43505th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Viscuso, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Viscuso
The surname Viscuso originates from Italy, particularly from the region of Sicily. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 14th centuries. The name is derived from the Italian word "vischio," which means "mistletoe," suggesting a connection to the plant or a possible occupational link to those who harvested or worked with mistletoe.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Viscuso surname can be found in the Sicilian village of Naro, where a family bearing this name was documented in the 14th century. The name also appeared in various historical records and documents from that region during the Renaissance period.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Girolamo Viscuso (1435-1498) was a prominent scholar and philosopher from Palermo, Sicily. His writings and teachings influenced the intellectual discourse of the time.
During the 16th century, another individual named Antonio Viscuso (1520-1590) was a renowned artist and painter from Messina, Sicily. His works, primarily religious paintings, adorned several churches and cathedrals in the region.
In the 17th century, the name Viscuso was associated with a powerful noble family from Catania, Sicily. One of the most prominent members, Francesco Viscuso (1625-1695), served as a high-ranking official in the Spanish administration that governed the island at the time.
Moving into the 18th century, a military officer named Vincenzo Viscuso (1710-1782) from Agrigento, Sicily, distinguished himself during the conflicts between the Spanish and Austrian forces vying for control over the region.
Throughout these centuries, the Viscuso surname has been documented in various forms, including Viscusi, Viscuso, and Vischuso, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. Additionally, the name has been associated with certain place names in Sicily, such as Viscusa and Viscusone, which may have influenced the surname's development.
While the Viscuso surname has its roots in Sicily, it has since spread to other parts of Italy and beyond, carried by individuals and families who migrated from the island over the centuries. Today, the name continues to hold a strong connection to its Sicilian heritage and the rich history of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Viscuso
Among Census respondents with the surname Viscuso, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Viscuso 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 Viscuso surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 491
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 36
- Black or African American0.6% · 3
- Two or more races0.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Viscuso
Viscuso 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
#41,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 525
+19 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 736 places
2020
#43,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 535
+10 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 2,079 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #40,690 | 506 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #41,426 | 525 | 0.18 | +19 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 736 places |
| 2020 | #43,505 | 535 | 0.18 | +10 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 2,079 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 Viscuso 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 | #41,426 | #43,505 | -5.0% |
| Count | 525 | 535 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.18 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Viscuso bearers went from 525 to 535 (+1.9% change). The surname moved down 2,079 positions in the national ranking, going from #41,426 to #43,505.
FAQ
Viscuso surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Viscuso?
Name Census estimates that about 613 living Americans carry the surname Viscuso. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 559,142 residents.
How common is Viscuso?
Viscuso ranks #43,505 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 535 people with the surname Viscuso. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (613), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Viscuso.
Has Viscuso become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Viscuso went from 525 recorded bearers to 535. That is an increase of 10 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #41,426 to #43,505.
What does the Census say about the background of Viscuso?
Among Census respondents with the surname Viscuso, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Black (0.6%). 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 Viscuso in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (491 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Viscuso appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (6.7%), Black (0.6%). 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 Viscuso (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 Viscuso mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "visco" meaning mistletoe, possibly denoting a location or occupation. 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 Viscuso (0.18 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 Viscuso?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.