2000
#30,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 720
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Zummo
A habitational surname of Italian origin referring to someone from the town of Zummo in Sicily.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 830 Americans carry the last name Zummo. That puts it at #33,810 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 412,957 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zummo 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
830
1 in 412,957
Census rank
#33,810
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
724
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 724 bearers of the surname Zummo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33810th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zummo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zummo
The surname ZUMMO has its origins in Italy, particularly from the southern regions such as Sicily. The surname ZUMMO dates back to at least the late medieval period, with its presence most noticeably appearing in the 13th and 14th centuries. Sicily, due to its rich and multifaceted history involving various cultural and ethnic groups, served as a melting pot for numerous surnames, including ZUMMO.
The surname ZUMMO is of Italian origin and may have initially emerged from a nickname or a locational name derived from old Italian words. The word Zummo appears to have connections to the Italian word "giúmo" or "zummo," which in various dialects could mean "summit" or "peak." It could also have been derived from a geographical feature such as a hill or a high place where the original family might have resided. Another possibility is that it is derived from the Italian term for juice, such as "succo" or "summa," relating to the essence or core.
Historically, the surname ZUMMO can be traced in several records and manuscripts from the medieval and Renaissance periods, reflecting its presence among families in Sicily and neighboring regions. An early recorded instance of the name is found in the tax records of Palermo in the late 1500s, where a certain Giovanni ZUMMO is mentioned as a landowner.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname ZUMMO was Mario ZUMMO, born in 1564 and a prominent figure in the town of Enna, Sicily. He was known for his work as a merchant and landowner, contributing significantly to the local economy. Another notable individual was Lucia ZUMMO (1625–1692), a renowned midwife in her community, whose contributions to midwifery made her a pivotal figure in her town's history.
The surname ZUMMO also finds its historical significance in the 17th century through Giuseppe ZUMMO, born in 1636, who was a sculptor famed for his anatomical wax models. These models became widely used in medical training across Italy and Europe, showcasing the talent and innovation of another bearer of the surname.
In the 18th century, Francesco ZUMMO (1742–1803), a scholar, and a poet from Sicily, left his mark by publishing several volumes of poetry that explored the nuances of Italian literature, further embedding the surname in the cultural fabric of Italy.
The 19th century saw Angelo ZUMMO, born in 1821, who became a noted politician and advocate for the unification of Italy. His efforts in the political arena garnered him much respect and recognition, adding to the legacy of the ZUMMO surname.
The surname ZUMMO has traversed several centuries, leaving behind traces in various fields such as commerce, healthcare, art, literature, and politics. The surname continues to be associated with a rich and diverse heritage, rooted deeply in the history and culture of Sicily and Italy at large.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zummo
Among Census respondents with the surname Zummo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Zummo 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 Zummo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 665
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 31
- Two or more races3.2% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zummo
Zummo 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
#31,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 721
+1 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 1,412 places
2020
#33,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 724
+3 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 1,816 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,582 | 720 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,994 | 721 | 0.24 | +1 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 1,412 places |
| 2020 | #33,810 | 724 | 0.24 | +3 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 1,816 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 Zummo 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 | #31,994 | #33,810 | -5.7% |
| Count | 721 | 724 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zummo bearers went from 721 to 724 (+0.4% change). The surname moved down 1,816 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,994 to #33,810.
FAQ
Zummo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zummo?
Name Census estimates that about 830 living Americans carry the surname Zummo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 412,957 residents.
How common is Zummo?
Zummo ranks #33,810 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 724 people with the surname Zummo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (830), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Zummo.
Has Zummo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zummo went from 721 recorded bearers to 724. That is an increase of 3 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,994 to #33,810.
What does the Census say about the background of Zummo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zummo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Zummo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (665 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zummo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Zummo (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 Zummo mean?
A habitational surname of Italian origin referring to someone from the town of Zummo in Sicily. 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 Zummo (0.24 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 Zummo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.