2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Besozzi
An Italian surname derived from an occupational name for a maker of ornaments or decorations.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Besozzi. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Besozzi 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Besozzi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Besozzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Besozzi
The surname Besozzi is of Italian origin, believed to have originated in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Milan and Bergamo. The name is thought to have derived from the Italian word "besozzo," which means "hazel grove" or "hazelnut plantation." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with hazelnut cultivation or resided in areas known for their hazel groves.
The Besozzi name can be traced back to the 13th century, with early records indicating its presence in various parts of northern Italy. One notable historical reference is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Civitatis et Ecclesiae Bergomatis, a collection of documents from the 13th and 14th centuries related to the city and church of Bergamo. This manuscript contains several mentions of individuals with the Besozzi surname, suggesting their prominence in the region during that time.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the Besozzi name is Giovanni Besozzi, who lived in the late 13th century and is mentioned in the Codex Diplomaticus Civitatis et Ecclesiae Bergomatis as a landowner in the Bergamo area. Another early record is that of Stefano Besozzi, a notary and scribe who lived in Milan in the 14th century and whose name appears in various legal documents from that period.
Over the centuries, the Besozzi surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure is Gaetano Besozzi (1709-1778), an Italian composer and oboist who was highly regarded for his contributions to the development of the oboe repertoire. Another prominent bearer of the name was Ambrogio Besozzi (1648-1714), an Italian sculptor and architect who was involved in the construction of several churches and palaces in Milan.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Besozzi (1820-1899) was an Italian painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. His works can be found in various art collections and museums across Italy. Additionally, Costantino Besozzi (1847-1903) was a notable Italian architect who designed several significant buildings in Milan, including the Palazzo dell'Esposizione Permanente and the Villa Grumello.
The Besozzi surname has also been present in other parts of Europe, particularly in areas with Italian communities or historical ties to Italy. For example, there are records of individuals with the Besozzi name in Switzerland and France, likely due to migration patterns or cultural exchanges between these regions and Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Besozzi
Among Census respondents with the surname Besozzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Besozzi 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 Besozzi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Besozzi
Besozzi 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,605 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+10 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,664 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,605 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 7,664 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 Besozzi 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 | #150,452 | #142,788 | 5.1% |
| Count | 109 | 119 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Besozzi bearers went from 109 to 119 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 7,664 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #142,788.
FAQ
Besozzi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Besozzi?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Besozzi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Besozzi?
Besozzi ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Besozzi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Besozzi.
Has Besozzi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Besozzi went from 109 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 10 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Besozzi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Besozzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Besozzi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Besozzi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%), Black (1.7%). 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 Besozzi (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 Besozzi mean?
An Italian surname derived from an occupational name for a maker of ornaments or decorations. 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 Besozzi (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 Besozzi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.