2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bastardi
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "bastardo," meaning an illegitimate or born out of wedlock child.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Bastardi. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bastardi 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Bastardi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bastardi, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bastardi
The surname Bastardi originated in Italy during the medieval period. Its roots can be traced back to the Latin word "bastardus," which referred to a child born out of wedlock. This term later evolved into the Italian word "bastardo," carrying a similar meaning.
In the early days, individuals bearing this surname were often associated with illegitimate births or families of questionable lineage. The name served as a stark reminder of the societal stigma surrounding such circumstances during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bastardi name can be found in the 13th century, when a certain Guglielmo Bastardi was mentioned in the historical records of the city of Siena, Italy. This reference suggests that the name had already gained some recognition within the region.
As time passed, the Bastardi surname gradually spread across various parts of Italy, with notable concentrations in regions like Tuscany, Lombardy, and Veneto. In the 14th century, the name appeared in the records of the powerful Medici family, indicating its presence among the influential circles of Florence.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the Bastardi surname was Antonio Bastardi (1493-1568), a renowned painter and sculptor from Ferrara. His works adorned churches and palaces throughout northern Italy, cementing his reputation as a skilled artist of his time.
Another prominent individual was Girolamo Bastardi (1572-1623), a Venetian philosopher and theologian who gained recognition for his scholarly works on metaphysics and ethics. His treatises were widely studied and debated within academic circles across Europe.
In the 18th century, the Bastardi name gained further prominence with the birth of Giacomo Bastardi (1724-1806), a celebrated composer and violinist from Naples. His compositions were highly regarded and performed throughout the courts of Italy and beyond.
While the Bastardi surname may have carried a stigma in its early days, over time, it became an integral part of Italian history and culture, with numerous individuals bearing this name leaving their mark across various fields, from the arts to academia and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bastardi
Among Census respondents with the surname Bastardi, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bastardi 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 Bastardi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 7
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bastardi
Bastardi 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,049 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 10,049 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Bastardi 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 | #136,449 | #142,049 | -4.1% |
| Count | 123 | 120 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bastardi bearers went from 123 to 120 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #142,049.
FAQ
Bastardi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bastardi?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Bastardi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Bastardi?
Bastardi ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Bastardi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Bastardi.
Has Bastardi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bastardi went from 123 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Bastardi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bastardi, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Bastardi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bastardi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Bastardi (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 Bastardi mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "bastardo," meaning an illegitimate or born out of wedlock child. 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 Bastardi (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 Bastardi?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.