2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bolzan
A surname of Italian origin, possibly derived from the Italian place name Bolzano.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Bolzan. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bolzan 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Bolzan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolzan, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.0%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bolzan
The surname Bolzan is of Italian origin, emerging in the northern regions of Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "bolzano," which refers to a type of crossbow bolt or arrow. This suggests that the name may have originated from an occupation or trade involving the production or use of these weapons.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the historic town of Bolzano, located in the Alto Adige region of northern Italy. This town, known as Bozen in German, dates back to the 5th century and was an important trading center during the Middle Ages. It is possible that the Bolzan surname arose from individuals who hailed from or had connections to this town.
In the 13th century, a nobleman named Enrico Bolzan was mentioned in documents relating to the city of Treviso, located in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. This early record provides evidence of the name's existence during this time period.
Another notable figure was Giacomo Bolzan, a 16th-century Venetian painter known for his religious artworks adorning various churches in Venice and the surrounding areas. He was born in 1525 and passed away in 1588.
During the Renaissance period, a family of architects and engineers from the Bolzan surname made significant contributions to the construction of various buildings and structures across Italy. One of the most renowned was Francesco Bolzan, who was involved in the design and construction of several notable churches and palaces in the city of Venice between 1550 and 1610.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Giovanni Bolzan was a respected scholar and mathematician from the city of Padua. He authored several influential treatises on geometry and algebra, which were widely studied during that time.
As the centuries passed, the Bolzan surname continued to be found throughout various regions of Italy, with individuals from this lineage making their mark in various fields, including art, academia, and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bolzan
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolzan, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.0%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bolzan 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 Bolzan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.0% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino14.0% · 17
- Two or more races6.6% · 8
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bolzan
Bolzan 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+12 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,143 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 9,143 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 Bolzan 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 | #141,309 | 6.1% |
| Count | 109 | 121 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bolzan bearers went from 109 to 121 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 9,143 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #141,309.
FAQ
Bolzan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bolzan?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Bolzan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Bolzan?
Bolzan ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Bolzan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Bolzan.
Has Bolzan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bolzan went from 109 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 12 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Bolzan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolzan, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.0%) and Two or More Races (6.6%). 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 Bolzan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bolzan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.0%), Hispanic (14.0%), Two or More Races (6.6%). 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 Bolzan (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 Bolzan mean?
A surname of Italian origin, possibly derived from the Italian place name Bolzano. 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 Bolzan (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 Bolzan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.