2000
#110,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Arbisi
A surname of Italian origin signifying someone who lived near groves of trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Arbisi. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arbisi 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Arbisi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arbisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arbisi
The surname Arbisi has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Sicily. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Latin word "arbor," meaning "tree," suggesting a possible connection to a location or occupation related to trees or forestry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arbisi can be found in a Sicilian legal document from the 13th century, where it appears as "Arbixio." This variation in spelling was common during that time period, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
In the 14th century, a notable individual named Giovanni Arbisi was mentioned in a manuscript detailing the history of the city of Palermo. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, suggesting that the Arbisi family had already established a certain level of wealth and social standing by that time.
The name Arbisi has also been associated with various place names throughout Sicily. For example, the town of Arbisi in the province of Agrigento is believed to have derived its name from the surname, indicating that the family may have held significant influence or land holdings in that area.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Arbisi throughout history are:
1. Pietro Arbisi (c. 1450-1520), a Sicilian painter known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches in Palermo.
2. Girolamo Arbisi (1570-1633), a Sicilian mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
3. Antonino Arbisi (1720-1785), a prominent lawyer and jurist who served as a judge in the Supreme Court of Sicily.
4. Maria Arbisi (1826-1896), a Sicilian philanthropist and social reformer who established several charitable organizations to assist the poor and underprivileged.
5. Giuseppe Arbisi (1875-1942), a Sicilian politician and journalist who advocated for workers' rights and social justice.
While the surname Arbisi is not among the most common in Italy, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including the arts, sciences, law, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arbisi
Among Census respondents with the surname Arbisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Arbisi 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 Arbisi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arbisi
Arbisi 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
-14 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 16,971 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-15 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,294 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #110,523 | 148 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | -14 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 16,971 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 15,294 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 Arbisi 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 | #127,494 | #142,788 | -12.0% |
| Count | 134 | 119 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arbisi bearers went from 134 to 119 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 15,294 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #142,788.
FAQ
Arbisi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arbisi?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Arbisi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Arbisi?
Arbisi ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Arbisi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Arbisi.
Has Arbisi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arbisi went from 134 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Arbisi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arbisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Arbisi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arbisi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (3.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Arbisi (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 Arbisi mean?
A surname of Italian origin signifying someone who lived near groves of trees. 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 Arbisi (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 many Americans have the surname Arbisi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.