2000
#45,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 438
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Macchio
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "macchia", meaning a spot or stain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 500 Americans carry the last name Macchio. That puts it at #51,542 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 685,509 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macchio 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
500
1 in 685,509
Census rank
#51,542
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
436
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 436 bearers of the surname Macchio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51542nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macchio, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macchio
The surname Macchio originates from Italy, specifically from the northern regions of Lombardy and Piedmont. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "macchia," which means "spot" or "stain." This name likely emerged during the medieval period, possibly as a descriptive nickname for someone with a distinctive birthmark or a profession involving staining or dyeing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Macchio can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Milan, where a certain Giovanni Macchio was mentioned as a local merchant. Historical records also indicate that the name was present in the nearby town of Novara, where the Macchio family owned a winery during the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Macchio name appeared in several legal documents from the region of Piedmont, indicating the family's involvement in various trades and occupations. One notable figure from this time was Bartolomeo Macchio, a respected lawyer and judge who served in the city of Turin from 1542 to 1588.
As the centuries passed, the Macchio name spread across Italy and beyond. In the 18th century, a famous military commander named Francesco Macchio fought in the Napoleonic Wars and received numerous honors for his bravery on the battlefield (1772-1842).
During the 19th century, the Macchio surname gained recognition in the world of arts and literature. Giacomo Macchio (1825-1892) was a renowned painter from Venice, known for his landscapes and portraiture. Additionally, Antonio Macchio (1848-1911) was a celebrated poet and playwright from Naples, whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
In more recent times, the name Macchio has been associated with the entertainment industry. Ralph Macchio (born 1961) is an American actor best known for his role as Daniel LaRusso in the iconic film "The Karate Kid" and its sequels.
While census data from modern times can provide further insights into the distribution and prevalence of the Macchio surname, this detailed report focuses on the historical origins, notable figures, and the rich heritage associated with this Italian last name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macchio
Among Census respondents with the surname Macchio, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Macchio 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 Macchio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 408
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 24
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- Two or more races0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macchio
Macchio 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
#46,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 460
+22 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 405 places
2020
#51,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 436
-24 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 5,228 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #45,909 | 438 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #46,314 | 460 | 0.16 | +22 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 405 places |
| 2020 | #51,542 | 436 | 0.15 | -24 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 5,228 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 Macchio 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 | #46,314 | #51,542 | -11.3% |
| Count | 460 | 436 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.15 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macchio bearers went from 460 to 436 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 5,228 positions in the national ranking, going from #46,314 to #51,542.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Macchio
FAQ
Macchio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macchio?
Name Census estimates that about 500 living Americans carry the surname Macchio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 685,509 residents.
How common is Macchio?
Macchio ranks #51,542 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 436 people with the surname Macchio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (500), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Macchio.
Has Macchio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macchio went from 460 recorded bearers to 436. That is a decrease of 24 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #46,314 to #51,542.
What does the Census say about the background of Macchio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macchio, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Macchio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (408 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macchio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (5.5%), Black (0.5%). 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 Macchio (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 Macchio mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "macchia", meaning a spot or stain. 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 Macchio (0.15 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 Macchio?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.