2000
#66,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 277
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Moffo
A surname of Italian origin referring to a person with prominent jowls or lips.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 288 Americans carry the last name Moffo. That puts it at #81,311 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,190,119 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moffo 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
288
1 in 1,190,119
Census rank
#81,311
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
251
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 251 bearers of the surname Moffo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 81311th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moffo, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moffo
The surname Moffo originated in Sicily, an island located in the central Mediterranean Sea, and has been present in the region since at least the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "muffar," meaning "barren" or "infertile," which refers to the arid nature of the Sicilian landscape.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Moffo can be found in historical documents from the town of Palermo, the capital of Sicily, dating back to the late 13th century. These records include mentions of individuals such as Giovanni Moffo, a merchant who lived in Palermo during the 1280s.
Throughout the centuries, the Moffo name has been associated with various notable figures from Sicily. One such individual was Pietro Moffo, a renowned painter who lived in Palermo during the 15th century and is known for his intricate frescoes adorning several churches in the city.
In the 16th century, records show the presence of the Moffo family in the town of Monreale, located near Palermo. One noteworthy member of this branch was Antonino Moffo, a scholar and professor at the University of Palermo, who published several treatises on philosophy and theology between 1520 and 1570.
The name Moffo also appears in historical documents from the nearby town of Bagheria, where a family of that name was prominent in the 17th century. Francesco Moffo, born in 1635, was a successful merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the town's economic development.
Another notable figure with the Moffo surname was Giuseppe Moffo, a military officer who served in the Sicilian army during the late 18th century. He participated in several campaigns against the French during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the title of Baron for his bravery and service.
In the 19th century, the Moffo name gained recognition through the works of the poet and playwright Salvatore Moffo, who was born in Palermo in 1820. His plays and poetry, often reflecting the cultural and social aspects of Sicilian life, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moffo
Among Census respondents with the surname Moffo, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Moffo 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 Moffo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 235
- Black or African American3.2% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 6
- Two or more races0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moffo
Moffo 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
#74,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 261
-16 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 7,465 places
2020
#81,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 251
-10 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 7,170 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #66,676 | 277 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #74,141 | 261 | 0.09 | -16 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 7,465 places |
| 2020 | #81,311 | 251 | 0.08 | -10 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 7,170 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 Moffo 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 | #74,141 | #81,311 | -9.7% |
| Count | 261 | 251 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.08 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moffo bearers went from 261 to 251 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 7,170 positions in the national ranking, going from #74,141 to #81,311.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Moffo
FAQ
Moffo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moffo?
Name Census estimates that about 288 living Americans carry the surname Moffo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,190,119 residents.
How common is Moffo?
Moffo ranks #81,311 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 251 people with the surname Moffo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (288), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Moffo.
Has Moffo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moffo went from 261 recorded bearers to 251. That is a decrease of 10 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #74,141 to #81,311.
What does the Census say about the background of Moffo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moffo, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Black (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Moffo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (235 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moffo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Black (3.2%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Moffo (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 Moffo mean?
A surname of Italian origin referring to a person with prominent jowls or lips. 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 Moffo (0.08 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 are called Moffo?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Moffo at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.