2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Balisteri
A surname possibly derived from Italian for "cross-bearer" or "bearer of arbalests".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Balisteri. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balisteri 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Balisteri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balisteri, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balisteri
The surname Balisteri originated in Sicily, an island located in the central Mediterranean Sea. It is believed to have derived from the word "balistaru," which means "crossbowman" in Sicilian. This suggests that the name was initially given to those who made or used crossbows, a type of medieval ranged weapon.
In the 11th century, during the Norman conquest of Sicily, many surnames began to emerge as a way to distinguish individuals and families. The Balisteri surname likely arose during this period, as the Normans established their rule and assimilated with the existing population.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Balisteri name can be found in a document from the city of Palermo, dated 1283. This document mentions a certain "Nicola Balisteri," suggesting that the name was already well-established in the region by the 13th century.
Throughout the centuries, the Balisteri family spread across various parts of Sicily, including the provinces of Messina, Catania, and Agrigento. Some notable individuals who bore this surname include:
1. Ludovico Balisteri (1615-1678), a Sicilian painter known for his works in churches and monasteries across the island.
2. Giuseppe Balisteri (1766-1835), a Sicilian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Sicilian Parliament during the early 19th century.
3. Antonio Balisteri (1825-1901), a prominent Sicilian businessman and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the agricultural industry in the region.
4. Maria Balisteri (1890-1972), a Sicilian educator and activist who fought for women's rights and access to education in the early 20th century.
5. Salvatore Balisteri (1921-2002), a Sicilian-American artist and sculptor known for his contributions to the New York City art scene during the mid-20th century.
While the Balisteri name has its roots in Sicily, it has since spread to other parts of Italy and even to countries with significant Italian diaspora communities, such as the United States and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balisteri
Among Census respondents with the surname Balisteri, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Balisteri 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 Balisteri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Balisteri
Balisteri 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,336 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,858 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 2,336 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,858 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 Balisteri 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 | #148,347 | #150,205 | -1.3% |
| Count | 111 | 109 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Balisteri bearers went from 111 to 109 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,858 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #150,205.
FAQ
Balisteri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Balisteri?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Balisteri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Balisteri?
Balisteri ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Balisteri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Balisteri.
Has Balisteri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Balisteri went from 111 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Balisteri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balisteri, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Balisteri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Balisteri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (7.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Balisteri (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 Balisteri mean?
A surname possibly derived from Italian for "cross-bearer" or "bearer of arbalests". 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 Balisteri (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 have the last name Balisteri?
See how many people have the surname Balisteri on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.