2000
#9,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,269
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Noto
An Italian toponymic surname referring to someone from the town of Noto in Sicily.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,498 Americans carry the last name Noto. That puts it at #10,077 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,986 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noto 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 Noto with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,986
Census rank
#10,077
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,050 bearers of the surname Noto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10077th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noto, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noto
The surname NOTO has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern region of Sicily. It is believed to have derived from a place name, which was a common practice during the Middle Ages when surnames began to emerge.
One theory suggests that NOTO is derived from the Italian town of Noto, located in the province of Syracuse, Sicily. This town traces its roots back to the 8th century BC when it was founded by the Sicilian Greeks. The name "Noto" is thought to come from the Greek word "nótos," meaning "south wind."
Another theory proposes that NOTO may have originated from the Latin word "notus," meaning "known" or "famous." This could indicate that the surname was initially given to someone who was well-known or had achieved a certain level of prominence within their community.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname NOTO date back to the 14th century in various historical records and manuscripts from Sicily. One notable example is a document from 1372, which mentions a certain Bartolomeo NOTO, a merchant from the city of Palermo.
In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Vincenzo NOTO (1435-1499) was a renowned architect and engineer responsible for the design and construction of several important buildings and fortifications in Sicily, including the Castello di Mussomeli.
During the 16th century, the NOTO surname spread beyond Sicily to other parts of Italy. Girolamo NOTO (1520-1592), a skilled goldsmith from Naples, was renowned for his exquisite craftsmanship and was commissioned to create various works for the nobility and clergy.
In the 17th century, the name NOTO appeared in association with several religious figures. Tommaso NOTO (1627-1696) was a Jesuit priest and philosopher who taught at the University of Palermo and authored several theological treatises.
Moving into the 18th century, Giuseppe NOTO (1718-1778) was a renowned painter and fresco artist from Palermo, whose works adorned numerous churches and palaces throughout Sicily.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname NOTO who have left their mark on history, contributing to various fields such as architecture, art, religion, and commerce throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noto
Among Census respondents with the surname Noto, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Noto 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 Noto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 2,745
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 172
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 70
- Two or more races1.7% · 51
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noto
Noto 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
#9,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,300
+31 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 639 places
2020
#10,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,050
-250 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 267 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,171 | 3,269 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,810 | 3,300 | 1.12 | +31 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 639 places |
| 2020 | #10,077 | 3,050 | 1.02 | -250 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 267 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 Noto 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 | #9,810 | #10,077 | -2.7% |
| Count | 3,300 | 3,050 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.02 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noto bearers went from 3,300 to 3,050 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 267 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,810 to #10,077.
FAQ
Noto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noto?
Name Census estimates that about 3,498 living Americans carry the surname Noto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,986 residents.
How common is Noto?
Noto ranks #10,077 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,050 people with the surname Noto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,498), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Noto.
Has Noto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noto went from 3,300 recorded bearers to 3,050. That is a decrease of 250 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,810 to #10,077.
What does the Census say about the background of Noto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noto, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%). 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 Noto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (2,745 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%). 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 Noto (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 Noto mean?
An Italian toponymic surname referring to someone from the town of Noto in Sicily. 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 Noto (1.02 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 Noto?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.