2000
#63,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 295
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Fortuno
A surname derived from the Latin fortuna meaning "luck" or "chance".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 446 Americans carry the last name Fortuno. That puts it at #56,668 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 768,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fortuno 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
446
1 in 768,507
Census rank
#56,668
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
389
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 389 bearers of the surname Fortuno in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 56668th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortuno, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 42.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.5%) and White (14.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fortuno
The surname Fortuno is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. The name is believed to have derived from the Latin word "Fortunatus," meaning "fortunate" or "lucky." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname given to someone perceived as fortunate or blessed with good luck.
In the early Middle Ages, the Iberian Peninsula was under Moorish rule, and many surnames were influenced by Arabic culture. The name Fortuno could have been a variant of the Arabic name "Furtun," which also carried connotations of fortune and prosperity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fortuno surname can be found in the 11th century, during the reign of King Alfonso VI of León and Castile. Historical records from this period mention a nobleman named Pedro Fortuno, who held considerable influence in the court.
The Fortuno surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Aragón and Catalonia, where it was often associated with noble families and landowners. In the 13th century, a branch of the Fortuno family settled in the town of Fortuny, near Tarragona, leading to the variant spelling "Fortuny."
Notable individuals bearing the Fortuno or Fortuny surname include:
1. Mariano Fortuny (1838-1874), a Spanish painter and etcher renowned for his Orientalist works and innovative printmaking techniques.
2. Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo (1871-1949), a Spanish fashion designer and inventor, best known for his pleated silk "Delphos" gown and innovative lighting systems.
3. Pedro Fortuny (fl. 1470-1490), a Spanish composer and singer during the Renaissance period, known for his sacred and secular works.
4. Joaquín Fortuno (1909-1988), a Spanish painter and illustrator, celebrated for his vibrant depictions of Spanish folk life and traditions.
5. Francisco Fortuny (fl. 1590-1610), a Spanish playwright and poet who contributed to the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
Over the centuries, the Fortuno surname has spread across Spain and Spanish-speaking regions, with variations in spelling and pronunciation emerging in different areas. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval Iberian Peninsula, where it was associated with notions of fortune, prosperity, and nobility.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fortuno
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortuno, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 42.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.5%) and White (14.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Fortuno 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 Fortuno surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander42.4% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino35.5% · 138
- White14.7% · 57
- Two or more races5.7% · 22
- Black or African American1.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fortuno
Fortuno 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
#68,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 286
-9 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 5,473 places
2020
#56,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 389
+103 bearers (+36.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 12,102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #63,297 | 295 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #68,770 | 286 | 0.10 | -9 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 5,473 places |
| 2020 | #56,668 | 389 | 0.13 | +103 bearers (+36.0%) | Up 12,102 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 Fortuno 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 | #68,770 | #56,668 | 17.6% |
| Count | 286 | 389 | 36.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.13 | 30.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fortuno bearers went from 286 to 389 (+36.0% change). The surname moved up 12,102 positions in the national ranking, going from #68,770 to #56,668.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fortuno
FAQ
Fortuno surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fortuno?
Name Census estimates that about 446 living Americans carry the surname Fortuno. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 768,507 residents.
How common is Fortuno?
Fortuno ranks #56,668 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 389 people with the surname Fortuno. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (446), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Fortuno.
Has Fortuno become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fortuno went from 286 recorded bearers to 389. That is an increase of 103 (+36.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #68,770 to #56,668.
What does the Census say about the background of Fortuno?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortuno, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 42.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (35.5%) and White (14.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fortuno in the 2020 Census, accounting for 42.4% (165 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fortuno appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (42.4%), Hispanic (35.5%), White (14.7%). 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 Fortuno (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 Fortuno mean?
A surname derived from the Latin fortuna meaning "luck" or "chance". 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 Fortuno (0.13 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 have the last name Fortuno?
You can see how many people have the surname Fortuno on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.