2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Balconi
An Italian surname derived from the word "balcone" meaning "balcony."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Balconi. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balconi 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Balconi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balconi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balconi
The surname BALCONI originates from Italy, specifically the regions of Lombardy and Veneto. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "balcone," which means balcony or terrace. This suggests that the name may have been associated with people who lived in houses or buildings with prominent balconies or terraces.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname BALCONI can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various municipal records and documents from cities like Milan, Verona, and Venice. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Matteo Balconi, a merchant from Milan in the mid-14th century, and Giacomo Balconi, a notary from Verona in the late 13th century.
In the 15th century, the BALCONI surname is mentioned in connection with a noble family from the town of Brescia. The Balconi family played a significant role in the political and cultural life of the city during the Renaissance period. One notable member of this family was Giovanni Battista Balconi (1456-1521), a renowned humanist scholar and poet who served as a tutor to the children of prominent noble families.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the BALCONI surname spread to other parts of Italy, including Rome and Naples. In the late 16th century, a branch of the Balconi family settled in Rome, where they became involved in the ecclesiastical affairs of the Catholic Church. Lucrezia Balconi (1568-1646), a nun from this family, is known for her influential writings on spirituality and mysticism.
In the 18th century, a member of the BALCONI family, Francesco Balconi (1712-1788), gained recognition as a talented architect and engineer in Venice. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and structures in the city, including the Chiesa di San Rocco and the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs).
As the BALCONI surname spread across Italy, it also became associated with various professions and trades. In the 19th century, Giuseppe Balconi (1824-1901) was a prominent Italian sculptor who created several public monuments and works of art in cities like Milan and Turin.
Throughout its history, the BALCONI surname has maintained a strong presence in Italy, particularly in the northern regions where it originated. While the name has also been carried by individuals in other parts of the world due to migration, its roots and historical significance remain deeply connected to its Italian heritage and the cultural and architectural traditions associated with balconies and terraces.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balconi
Among Census respondents with the surname Balconi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Balconi 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 Balconi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 109
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Balconi
Balconi 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,120 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 6,120 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 1,152 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 Balconi 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 | #140,157 | #141,309 | -0.8% |
| Count | 119 | 121 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Balconi bearers went from 119 to 121 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 1,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #141,309.
FAQ
Balconi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Balconi?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Balconi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Balconi?
Balconi ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Balconi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Balconi.
Has Balconi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Balconi went from 119 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Balconi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balconi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Balconi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Balconi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Balconi (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 Balconi mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "balcone" meaning "balcony." 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 Balconi (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 people share the surname Balconi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.