2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Canziani
An Italian surname denoting someone from the village of Canzia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Canziani. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canziani 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Canziani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canziani, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Canziani
The surname Canziani originated from Italy, specifically in the northern regions of Lombardy and Piedmont. It is believed to have first emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "canzone," which means "song" or "melody," suggesting a possible connection to musicians or poets in its early origins.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Canziani name can be found in a 14th-century document from the city of Genoa, where a certain Giacomo Canziani was mentioned as a prominent merchant and landowner. This suggests that the family had already established itself as a respected lineage within the Italian nobility by that time.
In the 15th century, the Canziani name appeared in a number of historical records from the Duchy of Milan, where several members of the family held influential positions within the local government and clergy. One notable figure was Giovanni Battista Canziani, who served as a diplomat and advisor to the Duke of Milan during the Renaissance period.
As the Canziani family expanded across northern Italy, they often adopted variations of the name based on local dialects or spellings. For example, in the region of Piedmont, the name was sometimes written as "Canzano" or "Canzani," while in the Veneto region, it took the form of "Canzian."
Throughout the centuries, several Canziani individuals achieved notable accomplishments and recognition. One such person was Giambattista Canziani (1675-1749), an Italian architect and engineer who designed numerous churches and palaces in the Baroque style throughout northern Italy. Another prominent figure was Ambrogio Canziani (1766-1837), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
In the 19th century, the Canziani name gained international recognition with the emergence of Esterre Canziani (1851-1910), an English writer and traveler who authored several books about her travels throughout Europe and the Middle East. She was also an accomplished artist and advocate for women's rights.
Another notable Canziani was Giacomo Canziani (1834-1859), an Italian patriot and revolutionary who fought alongside Giuseppe Garibaldi in the famous Expedition of the Thousand, which played a crucial role in the unification of Italy.
The Canziani surname has endured through the centuries, and while it may have originated from humble beginnings, it has been carried by individuals who have left their mark across various fields, from architecture and science to literature and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canziani
Among Census respondents with the surname Canziani, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Canziani 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 Canziani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 6
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canziani
Canziani 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,434 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 4,434 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 2,983 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 Canziani 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 | #147,253 | #144,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 117 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canziani bearers went from 112 to 117 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 2,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #144,270.
FAQ
Canziani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canziani?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Canziani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Canziani?
Canziani ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Canziani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Canziani.
Has Canziani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canziani went from 112 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Canziani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canziani, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%). 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 Canziani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canziani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Hispanic (7.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%). 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 Canziani (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 Canziani mean?
An Italian surname denoting someone from the village of Canzia. 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 Canziani (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 are called Canziani?
Find out how many people have the last name Canziani on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.