2000
#13,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Zullo
Derived from the Italian word "zullo," meaning a jovial, comical, or amusing person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,197 Americans carry the last name Zullo. That puts it at #14,846 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,010 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zullo 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
2.2K
1 in 156,010
Census rank
#14,846
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,916 bearers of the surname Zullo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14846th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zullo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zullo
The surname Zullo is of Italian origin, specifically from the Campania region in southern Italy. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "zollo," which means "clod of earth" or "lump." This suggests that the name may have originally been given to someone who lived near a particular plot of land or worked with the soil.
The earliest recorded use of the name Zullo dates back to the 14th century in documents from the city of Naples. In these records, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Zullo," "Zollo," and "Zolla," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Zullo was Giovanni Zullo, a merchant from the town of Sorrento, who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Tommaso Zullo, a renowned painter from Naples who was active in the 16th century and contributed to the artistic development of the region.
In the 17th century, the name Zullo appeared in records from the town of Amalfi, where a family of landowners and nobility bore this surname. One prominent member was Antonio Zullo, who served as a magistrate and played a significant role in the local government during that time.
As the centuries passed, the Zullo surname spread throughout Italy, with families bearing this name settling in different regions, including Lazio, Calabria, and Sicily. One notable figure from the 19th century was Giuseppe Zullo, a writer and philosopher from Naples who published several works on ethics and social issues.
Over time, individuals with the surname Zullo also migrated to other parts of the world, particularly to the United States and other countries with significant Italian communities. Some of these individuals achieved notable accomplishments, such as Mario Zullo, an Italian-American businessman and philanthropist who founded a successful construction company in the 20th century.
While the surname Zullo may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left its mark on various aspects of history, ranging from art and literature to business and politics. The name's enduring presence across centuries and regions serves as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and diversity of Italian surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zullo
Among Census respondents with the surname Zullo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Zullo 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 Zullo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 1,726
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 117
- Two or more races2.2% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- Black or African American0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zullo
Zullo 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
#14,528
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,052
-83 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 1,400 places
2020
#14,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,916
-136 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,128 | 2,135 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,528 | 2,052 | 0.70 | -83 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 1,400 places |
| 2020 | #14,846 | 1,916 | 0.64 | -136 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 318 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 Zullo 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 | #14,528 | #14,846 | -2.2% |
| Count | 2,052 | 1,916 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.64 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zullo bearers went from 2,052 to 1,916 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,528 to #14,846.
FAQ
Zullo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zullo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,197 living Americans carry the surname Zullo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,010 residents.
How common is Zullo?
Zullo ranks #14,846 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,916 people with the surname Zullo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,197), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Zullo.
Has Zullo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zullo went from 2,052 recorded bearers to 1,916. That is a decrease of 136 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,528 to #14,846.
What does the Census say about the background of Zullo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zullo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Zullo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (1,726 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zullo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Zullo (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 Zullo mean?
Derived from the Italian word "zullo," meaning a jovial, comical, or amusing person. 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 Zullo (0.64 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 Zullo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.