2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Carcelli
Italian surname derived from the word "carcere" meaning "prison".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Carcelli. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Carcelli 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Carcelli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Carcelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Carcelli
The surname Carcelli is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have emerged in the regions of central and northern Italy, particularly in the areas surrounding the cities of Milan and Venice.
The name Carcelli is derived from the Italian word "carcere," which translates to "prison" or "jail." This connection suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who held occupations related to prisons or the administration of justice, such as prison wardens, jailers, or law enforcement officials.
Historical records indicate that the name Carcelli appeared in various documents dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference can be found in the archives of the Republic of Venice, where a certain Giacomo Carcelli is mentioned as a prominent merchant and trader in the year 1387.
In the 15th century, the Carcelli family gained prominence in the city of Milan, where they were involved in the textile trade and held influential positions within the local guilds. A notable figure from this period was Francesco Carcelli (1428-1497), a respected textile merchant and influential member of the Milanese nobility.
As the Carcelli family expanded and migrated to other regions of Italy, the name also underwent variations in spelling. Some of the alternative forms included Carcella, Carcello, and Carceli. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and linguistic variations within different Italian regions.
The name Carcelli also found its way into the annals of Italian art and literature. A renowned artist, Giovanni Carcelli (1556-1621), hailed from the city of Bologna and was renowned for his exquisite frescoes and religious paintings adorning various churches and palaces throughout Italy.
Another notable individual bearing the Carcelli name was the 18th-century philosopher and scholar, Vincenzo Carcelli (1738-1806). He was a prominent figure in the Italian Enlightenment movement and authored several influential works on philosophy, ethics, and political theory.
In the 19th century, the Carcelli family gained prominence in the legal profession, with several members serving as judges, lawyers, and legal scholars. One such individual was Emilio Carcelli (1854-1927), a highly respected jurist and legal theorist who contributed significantly to the development of Italian civil law.
Throughout its history, the surname Carcelli has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of Italian culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Carcelli
Among Census respondents with the surname Carcelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Carcelli 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 Carcelli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino14.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Carcelli
Carcelli 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+27 bearers (+25.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,861 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-14 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +27 bearers (+25.7%) | Up 15,861 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 14,464 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 Carcelli 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 | #129,047 | #143,511 | -11.2% |
| Count | 132 | 118 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Carcelli bearers went from 132 to 118 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 14,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #143,511.
FAQ
Carcelli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Carcelli?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Carcelli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Carcelli?
Carcelli ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Carcelli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Carcelli.
Has Carcelli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Carcelli went from 132 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Carcelli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Carcelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Carcelli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Carcelli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Hispanic (14.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Carcelli (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 Carcelli mean?
Italian surname derived from the word "carcere" meaning "prison". 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 Carcelli (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 Carcelli?
Want to know how many people have the surname Carcelli? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.