2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Acitelli
A surname of Italian origin, likely referring to a person from Ascitelli, a place in the Marche region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Acitelli. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Acitelli 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Acitelli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Acitelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Acitelli
The surname Acitelli originated in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "acitulus," which means "a little vinegar." This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted as a nickname for someone with a sour or acidic demeanor.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 15th century in various records and documents from the regions of Naples and Reggio Calabria. Some variations of the spelling include Acitelli, Acitillo, and Acitella, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Nicola Acitelli, a renowned jurist and legal scholar who lived in Naples in the late 15th century. He was widely respected for his contributions to the development of the Neapolitan legal system and his written works on jurisprudence.
Another notable figure with the surname Acitelli was Giacomo Acitelli, a celebrated painter from Reggio Calabria who lived during the 16th century. His works, which often depicted religious themes and scenes from the Bible, can still be found in several churches and galleries throughout southern Italy.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the Carthusian Monastery of San Martino in Naples, where a monk named Giovanni Battista Acitelli served as the monastery's librarian and archivist. His meticulous work in preserving and cataloging the monastery's extensive collection of manuscripts and documents was highly regarded.
During the 18th century, the Acitelli family established itself as a prominent lineage in the region of Calabria. Saverio Acitelli, born in 1712, was a renowned lawyer and politician who served as a representative in the Neapolitan parliament and played a significant role in shaping the legal and political landscape of the Kingdom of Naples.
Another notable figure from this era was Francesco Acitelli, a celebrated musician and composer who lived in Naples from 1737 to 1819. His compositions, which included operas, oratorios, and chamber works, were widely performed and admired throughout Europe during his lifetime.
As the centuries passed, the Acitelli name continued to be associated with various professions and achievements, ranging from academics and artists to entrepreneurs and public servants. While its origins may have stemmed from a humble nickname, the surname Acitelli has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of southern Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Acitelli
Among Census respondents with the surname Acitelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Acitelli 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 Acitelli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 92
- Two or more races6.6% · 7
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Acitelli
Acitelli 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,406 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 3,406 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 5,086 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 Acitelli 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 | #147,253 | #152,339 | -3.5% |
| Count | 112 | 106 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Acitelli bearers went from 112 to 106 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 5,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #152,339.
FAQ
Acitelli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Acitelli?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Acitelli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Acitelli?
Acitelli ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 106 people with the surname Acitelli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Acitelli.
Has Acitelli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Acitelli went from 112 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Acitelli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Acitelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.6%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Acitelli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Acitelli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Two or More Races (6.6%), Black (1.9%). 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 Acitelli (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 Acitelli mean?
A surname of Italian origin, likely referring to a person from Ascitelli, a place in the Marche region. 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 Acitelli (0.04 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 common is the surname Acitelli?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Acitelli on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.