2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bellace
An Americanized variant of the Italian surname Bellacci, meaning "one from Bellacci."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Bellace. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bellace 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Bellace in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellace, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bellace
The surname Bellace is believed to have originated in Italy, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Italian word "bello," meaning beautiful, suggesting that it may have been a descriptive surname given to someone who was particularly attractive or handsome.
One of the earliest known references to the Bellace name can be found in a collection of medieval documents from the city of Siena, where a certain Guido Bellace is mentioned as a landowner in the year 1287. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
As the Bellace family grew and spread across Italy, variations in spelling emerged, including Bellacci, Bellazzi, and Bellagio. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the names of specific towns or regions where different branches of the family settled.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Bellace surname was Andrea Bellace, a skilled sculptor and architect from Florence. His works can still be seen in various churches and public buildings throughout the city, and he is considered an important figure in the Renaissance art movement.
Another historical figure of note was Giovanni Battista Bellace, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived in Rome during the 16th century. He served as a legal advisor to several popes and was known for his expertise in canon law.
In the 18th century, a member of the Bellace family, Francesco Bellace, gained recognition as a talented composer and musician. He was born in Naples in 1712 and composed numerous operas and orchestral works that were widely performed throughout Italy during his lifetime.
As the Bellace name spread beyond Italy, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable individual was Alejandro Bellace, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World in 1493.
Overall, the Bellace surname has a rich history spanning centuries and can be traced back to its Italian origins. While its meaning may have evolved over time, it remains a testament to the family's enduring legacy and impact across various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bellace
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellace, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bellace 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 Bellace surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bellace
Bellace 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,384 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,384 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 289 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 Bellace 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 | #152,628 | #152,339 | 0.2% |
| Count | 107 | 106 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bellace bearers went from 107 to 106 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 289 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #152,339.
FAQ
Bellace surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bellace?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Bellace. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Bellace?
Bellace ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Bellace. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Bellace.
Has Bellace become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bellace went from 107 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Bellace?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bellace, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Bellace in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bellace appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Bellace (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 Bellace mean?
An Americanized variant of the Italian surname Bellacci, meaning "one from Bellacci." 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 Bellace (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 Bellace?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.