2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Caligaris
An Italian surname derived from a Latin word meaning "small boot" or "sandal."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Caligaris. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caligaris 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Caligaris in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caligaris, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.8%) and Two or More Races (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caligaris
The surname Caligaris is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "caliga," which referred to a type of military boot or sandal worn by Roman soldiers. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a person involved in the production or trade of these boots.
The earliest known record of the Caligaris name can be found in a manuscript from the 11th century, which mentions a family with this surname residing in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. The name was particularly prevalent in the cities of Milan and Bergamo during this time.
In the 13th century, there are records of a Caligaris family holding land and properties in the town of Crema, situated between Milan and Cremona. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of Lombardy by this period.
During the Renaissance, the Caligaris name gained prominence with the birth of Alessandro Caligaris (1460-1534), a renowned artist and architect from Brescia. His notable works include the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine and the Palazzo Gambara in Brescia.
Another notable figure was Girolamo Caligaris (1530-1592), a Jesuit priest and scholar from Milan. He was known for his contributions to the field of theology and his writings on Catholic doctrine.
In the 17th century, the Caligaris family produced several notable members, including Antonio Caligaris (1615-1678), a respected lawyer and judge from Bergamo, and Gian Battista Caligaris (1640-1710), a renowned composer and musician from Milan.
The 18th century saw the rise of Giovanni Caligaris (1725-1799), a prominent architect from Crema who designed several churches and palaces in the region, including the Church of San Benedetto in Crema.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the Caligaris name gained international recognition with the birth of Gian Maria Caligaris (1870-1944), an Italian journalist and writer who was active in the early 20th century. He is best known for his novels and short stories depicting life in rural Italy.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the Caligaris surname throughout history, illustrating its deep roots in Italian culture and its presence across various professions and disciplines.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caligaris
Among Census respondents with the surname Caligaris, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.8%) and Two or More Races (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Caligaris 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 Caligaris surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.2% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino21.8% · 24
- Two or more races7.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caligaris
Caligaris 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
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,226 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,226 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 Caligaris 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 | #145,220 | #149,446 | -2.9% |
| Count | 114 | 110 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caligaris bearers went from 114 to 110 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,226 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #149,446.
FAQ
Caligaris surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caligaris?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Caligaris. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Caligaris?
Caligaris ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Caligaris. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Caligaris.
Has Caligaris become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caligaris went from 114 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Caligaris?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caligaris, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.8%) and Two or More Races (7.3%). 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 Caligaris in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.2% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caligaris appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.2%), Hispanic (21.8%), Two or More Races (7.3%). 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 Caligaris (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 Caligaris mean?
An Italian surname derived from a Latin word meaning "small boot" or "sandal." 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 Caligaris (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 have the last name Caligaris?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Caligaris at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.