2000
#44,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 456
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Rare Last name
Cielo
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word for "sky" or "heaven".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,011 Americans carry the last name Cielo. That puts it at #28,704 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 339,025 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cielo 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
1.0K
1 in 339,025
Census rank
#28,704
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
882
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 882 bearers of the surname Cielo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28704th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cielo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 67.3%. The next largest groups are White (18.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cielo
The surname Cielo has its roots in Italy, originating in the 14th century. It is derived from the Italian word "cielo," meaning "sky" or "heaven." The name likely emerged as a descriptive surname, possibly referring to a person's occupation or a physical characteristic related to the sky or heavenly realm.
Cielo is a relatively uncommon surname, but it can be found in historical records from various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern parts of the country. One of the earliest known instances of the name appears in a 1367 document from the city of Milan, where a certain Giovanni Cielo is mentioned.
In the 15th century, the Cielo surname gained prominence with the arrival of Francesco Cielo, a renowned painter and architect from the city of Vicenza. Born in 1428, Francesco Cielo was celebrated for his frescoes adorning several churches and palaces in the Venetian Republic. His artistic legacy left a lasting impact on the Renaissance art scene in northern Italy.
Another notable figure bearing the Cielo surname was Girolamo Cielo, a 16th-century scholar and philosopher from Bologna. Born in 1525, Girolamo Cielo authored several treatises on metaphysics and ethics, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 17th century, the Cielo family established roots in the city of Naples, where they played a significant role in the local aristocracy. One member, Antonio Cielo (1632-1698), served as a high-ranking official in the Neapolitan court and was renowned for his diplomatic skills.
Across the centuries, the Cielo surname has also been associated with notable individuals in various fields. For instance, Luciano Cielo (1789-1862) was a celebrated composer and violinist from Genoa, whose compositions gained popularity in the early 19th century.
While relatively rare, the Cielo surname continues to be present in various regions of Italy, as well as among Italian diaspora communities around the world. Its origins and historical significance remain intertwined with the rich cultural tapestry of the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cielo
Among Census respondents with the surname Cielo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 67.3%. The next largest groups are White (18.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cielo 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 Cielo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino67.3% · 594
- White18.1% · 160
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.7% · 112
- Two or more races1.6% · 14
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cielo
Cielo 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
#27,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 871
+415 bearers (+91.0%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 16,805 places
2020
#28,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 882
+11 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Down 1,079 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,430 | 456 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,625 | 871 | 0.30 | +415 bearers (+91.0%) | Up 16,805 places |
| 2020 | #28,704 | 882 | 0.30 | +11 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 1,079 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 Cielo 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 | #27,625 | #28,704 | -3.9% |
| Count | 871 | 882 | 1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.30 | 0.30 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cielo bearers went from 871 to 882 (+1.3% change). The surname moved down 1,079 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,625 to #28,704.
FAQ
Cielo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cielo?
Name Census estimates that about 1,011 living Americans carry the surname Cielo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 339,025 residents.
How common is Cielo?
Cielo ranks #28,704 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 882 people with the surname Cielo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,011), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Cielo.
Has Cielo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cielo went from 871 recorded bearers to 882. That is an increase of 11 (+1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #27,625 to #28,704.
What does the Census say about the background of Cielo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cielo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 67.3%. The next largest groups are White (18.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (12.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cielo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.3% (594 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cielo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (67.3%), White (18.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.7%). 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 Cielo (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 Cielo mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word for "sky" or "heaven". 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 Cielo (0.30 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 Cielo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.