2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bertolani
From the Italian town of Bertola, indicating an original place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Bertolani. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bertolani 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Bertolani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertolani, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.2%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bertolani
The surname BERTOLANI is of Italian origin, derived from the personal name Berto, a shortened form of the Germanic name Berthold or Bertram, which means "bright raven" or "illustrious raven." The name likely originated in the northern regions of Italy during the Middle Ages.
BERTOLANI is believed to have evolved from the medieval Italian name Bertolani, which was initially used as a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Bertolo." Bertolo was a diminutive form of the name Berto, which was commonly used in various parts of Italy during that time period.
Historical records indicate that the surname BERTOLANI appeared in various parts of Italy as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in a manuscript from the city of Bologna, dated 1287, which refers to a certain "Iacopo Bertolani."
In the 14th century, the BERTOLANI surname was particularly prominent in the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. A notable figure from this era was Bartolomeo Bertolani, a renowned painter and architect who lived in Bologna during the late 14th century (c. 1370-1435).
During the Renaissance period, the BERTOLANI surname continued to be associated with notable individuals in the arts and academia. One such individual was Girolamo Bertolani (1516-1592), a renowned humanist scholar and poet from Modena.
In the 17th century, the BERTOLANI surname was also found in other parts of Italy, including the Veneto region. A notable figure from this era was Giovanni Battista Bertolani (1612-1684), a prominent lawyer and jurist from Verona.
As the centuries progressed, the BERTOLANI surname continued to spread throughout Italy and beyond. In the 19th century, Giuseppe Bertolani (1804-1878) was a respected writer and poet from Modena, while Stefano Bertolani (1822-1896) was a renowned sculptor from Parma.
Throughout history, the BERTOLANI surname has been associated with various professions, including artists, scholars, writers, and professionals in various fields, reflecting the diverse contributions of individuals bearing this surname to Italian culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bertolani
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertolani, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.2%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bertolani 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 Bertolani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.0% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino15.2% · 16
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bertolani
Bertolani 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 780 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 780 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 Bertolani 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 | #153,769 | #152,989 | 0.5% |
| Count | 106 | 105 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bertolani bearers went from 106 to 105 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 780 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #152,989.
FAQ
Bertolani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bertolani?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Bertolani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Bertolani?
Bertolani ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Bertolani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Bertolani.
Has Bertolani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bertolani went from 106 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Bertolani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertolani, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.2%) and Black (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 Bertolani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.0% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bertolani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.0%), Hispanic (15.2%), Black (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 Bertolani (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 Bertolani mean?
From the Italian town of Bertola, indicating an original place of 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 Bertolani (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 Bertolani?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.