2000
#80,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 218
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Bertolami
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly of Italian origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 300 Americans carry the last name Bertolami. That puts it at #78,629 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,142,514 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bertolami 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
300
1 in 1,142,514
Census rank
#78,629
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
262
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 262 bearers of the surname Bertolami in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 78629th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertolami, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bertolami
The surname Bertolami is of Italian origin, originating from the northern regions of Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Italian personal name Bertolamo, a variant of the Germanic name Bertholamus, which is composed of the elements "beraht" meaning "bright" and "helm" meaning "helmet" or "protection."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bertolami can be found in historical documents from the 12th century, where it was associated with noble families from the regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. The name likely emerged as a way to distinguish various branches of these families, with the addition of the Italian patronymic suffix "-i."
In the 13th century, the Bertolami name appeared in several records from the city of Bologna, including a reference to a Guido Bertolami, a prominent jurist and legal scholar who held a position at the University of Bologna between 1230 and 1245. This suggests that the name had gained a degree of significance and recognition within academic and legal circles of the time.
During the Renaissance period, the Bertolami family established itself in the city of Florence, where they played a role in the city's cultural and artistic development. One notable figure was Girolamo Bertolami (1488-1555), a skilled sculptor and architect who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in Florence.
In the 17th century, the Bertolami name was associated with the Italian branch of the Jesuits, with several members serving as priests, scholars, and missionaries. One such figure was Matteo Bertolami (1617-1688), a Jesuit priest and mathematician who taught at the University of Bologna and authored several works on geometry and calculus.
Another prominent individual with the surname Bertolami was Domenico Bertolami (1775-1842), an Italian painter and engraver from Modena. He was celebrated for his landscapes and religious works, many of which can be found in churches and galleries throughout Italy.
Throughout its history, the Bertolami surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern areas of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Tuscany. While the name has evolved in its spelling and pronunciation over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the noble families who first bore this distinctive Italian surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bertolami
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertolami, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bertolami 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 Bertolami surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 240
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 7
- Two or more races2.7% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bertolami
Bertolami 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
#78,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 245
+27 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 2,772 places
2020
#78,629
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 262
+17 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 589 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #80,812 | 218 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,040 | 245 | 0.08 | +27 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 2,772 places |
| 2020 | #78,629 | 262 | 0.09 | +17 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 589 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 Bertolami 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 | #78,040 | #78,629 | -0.8% |
| Count | 245 | 262 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bertolami bearers went from 245 to 262 (+6.9% change). The surname moved down 589 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,040 to #78,629.
FAQ
Bertolami surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bertolami?
Name Census estimates that about 300 living Americans carry the surname Bertolami. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,142,514 residents.
How common is Bertolami?
Bertolami ranks #78,629 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 262 people with the surname Bertolami. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (300), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Bertolami.
Has Bertolami become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bertolami went from 245 recorded bearers to 262. That is an increase of 17 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #78,040 to #78,629.
What does the Census say about the background of Bertolami?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertolami, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Bertolami in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (240 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bertolami appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Bertolami (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 Bertolami mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly of Italian origin. 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 Bertolami (0.09 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 Bertolami?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Bertolami on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.