2000
#13,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,982
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Iacono
An Italian occupational surname referring to a deacon or servant in a church.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,337 Americans carry the last name Iacono. That puts it at #14,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,664 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Iacono 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Iacono with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,664
Census rank
#14,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,038 bearers of the surname Iacono in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Iacono, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Iacono
The surname "IACONO" is of Italian origin, specifically from the regions of Sicily and Calabria in southern Italy. It is believed to have originated during the medieval period, between the 11th and 14th centuries.
The name "IACONO" is derived from the Greek personal name "Iakobos," which is the equivalent of the English name "James." This Greek name was later Latinized to "Iacobus" during the Roman era. Over time, as the name spread throughout the Italian peninsula, it evolved into various regional forms, including "IACONO" in the southern regions of Sicily and Calabria.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname "IACONO" can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico di Sicilia," a collection of medieval documents from Sicily dating back to the 12th century. In these records, individuals with the surname "IACONO" are mentioned, suggesting the name's presence in the region during that time.
The surname "IACONO" is also closely tied to the town of Taurasi, located in the province of Avellino, Campania. This town was historically known as "Taurasi de li Iaconi," indicating a strong presence of families bearing the surname "IACONO" in the area.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname "IACONO," including:
1. Girolamo Iacono (1489-1560), an Italian Renaissance painter from Messina, Sicily, known for his religious works and frescoes.
2. Nicola Iacono (1666-1734), an Italian composer and organist from Naples, who composed numerous sacred works and operas.
3. Pasquale Iacono (1778-1854), an Italian architect and engineer from Palermo, Sicily, who designed several notable churches and public buildings.
4. Giovanni Iacono (1867-1936), an Italian poet and writer from Catania, Sicily, known for his works celebrating Sicilian culture and traditions.
5. Vincenzo Iacono (1888-1962), an Italian sculptor from Palermo, Sicily, who created numerous public monuments and religious sculptures.
While the surname "IACONO" has its roots in southern Italy, particularly in Sicily and Calabria, it has since spread to other regions of Italy and beyond, as families migrated and settled in different areas over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Iacono
Among Census respondents with the surname Iacono, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Iacono 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 Iacono surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 1,876
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 110
- Two or more races1.7% · 34
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Iacono
Iacono 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
#14,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,990
+8 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 905 places
2020
#14,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,038
+48 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 731 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,971 | 1,982 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,876 | 1,990 | 0.67 | +8 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 905 places |
| 2020 | #14,145 | 2,038 | 0.68 | +48 bearers (+2.4%) | Up 731 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 Iacono 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 | #14,876 | #14,145 | 4.9% |
| Count | 1,990 | 2,038 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.68 | 1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Iacono bearers went from 1,990 to 2,038 (+2.4% change). The surname moved up 731 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,876 to #14,145.
FAQ
Iacono surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Iacono?
Name Census estimates that about 2,337 living Americans carry the surname Iacono. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,664 residents.
How common is Iacono?
Iacono ranks #14,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,038 people with the surname Iacono. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,337), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Iacono.
Has Iacono become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Iacono went from 1,990 recorded bearers to 2,038. That is an increase of 48 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,876 to #14,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Iacono?
Among Census respondents with the surname Iacono, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Iacono in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (1,876 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Iacono appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Iacono (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 Iacono mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a deacon or servant in a church. 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 Iacono (0.68 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 Iacono?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Iacono on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.