2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Centilli
A surname derived from the Italian word meaning "one hundred lire", likely relating to a profession or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Centilli. 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 Centilli 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 Centilli 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 Centilli, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Centilli
The surname CENTILLI is an Italian name with origins dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Tuscany, specifically in the city of Florence. The name is derived from the Italian word "cento," which means "one hundred," and may have been used to denote a family or individual associated with a group or organization of a hundred members.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CENTILLI name can be found in a document from the Florentine archives dated 1387. This document mentions a certain Niccolò di Centilli, who was a merchant involved in the city's thriving silk trade. Another early reference comes from a 15th-century manuscript that mentions a nobleman named Giovanni Centilli, who was a member of the Florentine nobility.
During the Renaissance period, the CENTILLI family gained prominence in Florence, with several members achieving notable positions in the city's political and cultural spheres. One such individual was Piero Centilli (1490-1564), a renowned humanist scholar and philosopher who served as a tutor to the Medici family. Piero Centilli was also a close friend of the famous artist and polymath, Leonardo da Vinci.
In the 17th century, a branch of the CENTILLI family relocated to the island of Sicily, where they established themselves as landowners and merchants. One prominent member was Giuseppe Centilli (1625-1698), a wealthy businessman who owned several vineyards and olive groves in the region around Palermo.
Another notable figure with the CENTILLI surname was Francesca Centilli (1780-1845), a celebrated opera singer from Naples. She performed in some of the most prestigious opera houses of her time, including La Scala in Milan and the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.
In more recent times, the CENTILLI name has been associated with several accomplished individuals, such as Giulio Centilli (1895-1967), an Italian painter and sculptor known for his abstract works, and Mario Centilli (1920-2005), a renowned architect who designed several landmark buildings in Rome.
It is worth noting that variants of the CENTILLI surname exist, including Centilli, Centelle, and Centella. These variations may have arisen due to regional dialects or linguistic adaptations over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Centilli
Among Census respondents with the surname Centilli, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Centilli 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 Centilli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino10.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Centilli
Centilli 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-9 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,263 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 15,263 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,677 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 Centilli 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 | #135,593 | #144,270 | -6.4% |
| Count | 124 | 117 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Centilli bearers went from 124 to 117 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #144,270.
FAQ
Centilli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Centilli?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Centilli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Centilli?
Centilli 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 Centilli. 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 Centilli.
Has Centilli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Centilli went from 124 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Centilli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Centilli, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.3%). 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 Centilli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Centilli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (10.3%). 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 Centilli (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 Centilli mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word meaning "one hundred lire", likely relating to a profession or occupation. 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 Centilli (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 Americans have the surname Centilli?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.