2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bascelli
From an Italian place name referring to someone from Bascelli.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Bascelli. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bascelli 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Bascelli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bascelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bascelli
The surname Bascelli is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the regions of northern and central Italy during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "bascello," which means "small boat" or "skiff," suggesting a potential connection to maritime or fishing communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 14th century, when a certain Giovanni Bascelli was mentioned in the records of the city of Siena, Tuscany. This document, dated around 1380, suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.
By the 15th century, the name had spread to other parts of Italy, including the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy. In the town of Parma, a notable figure named Antonio Bascelli (1450-1521) was a respected painter and artist, renowned for his frescoes adorning several churches in the area.
As the name continued to gain prominence, it was also associated with notable scholars and intellectuals. One such individual was Girolamo Bascelli (1568-1639), a renowned philosopher and theologian from Bologna, who authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.
In the 17th century, the Bascelli family established itself as a prominent noble lineage in the region of Calabria, southern Italy. Giovanni Battista Bascelli (1620-1689), a member of this family, was a distinguished military commander who served in the Wars of Castro and played a crucial role in defending the city of Naples against Spanish forces.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Bascelli was Francesco Bascelli (1780-1856), a celebrated Italian composer and music theorist from Milan. His compositions, including operas and chamber works, were highly regarded during his lifetime and contributed to the development of Italian classical music.
Throughout its history, the surname Bascelli has been associated with various professions and accomplishments, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name across different regions of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bascelli
Among Census respondents with the surname Bascelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bascelli 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 Bascelli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bascelli
Bascelli appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-13 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,050 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 10,050 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 Bascelli 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 | #145,220 | #155,270 | -6.9% |
| Count | 114 | 101 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bascelli bearers went from 114 to 101 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 10,050 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #155,270.
FAQ
Bascelli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bascelli?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Bascelli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Bascelli?
Bascelli ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Bascelli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Bascelli.
Has Bascelli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bascelli went from 114 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Bascelli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bascelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Bascelli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bascelli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Bascelli (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 Bascelli mean?
From an Italian place name referring to someone from Bascelli. 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 Bascelli (0.03 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 are called Bascelli?
Find out how many people have the last name Bascelli on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.