Find out how popular the last name Chelli is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Chelli.

Chelli, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Chelli surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chelli in America

Chelli is the 129047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chelli surname appeared 132 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Chelli.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chelli to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Chelli

The surname Chelli has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Tuscany, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "cello," which means "little" or "small," possibly referring to a person's stature or demeanor. Alternatively, it could be a diminutive form of the name "Celestino" or "Celeste."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chelli can be found in a document from the city of Siena, dated 1278, where a certain Bindo di Chello is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated as a patronymic, meaning "son of Chello."

In the 14th century, the Chelli family gained prominence in the town of Montepulciano, where they were involved in the local government and held influential positions. Notably, a certain Niccolo di Chelli Manni served as a magistrate in the town council in the year 1349.

The name Chelli has also been associated with the town of Viterbo, located in the Lazio region of Italy. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Battista Chelli (1527-1591) was born in Viterbo and became a renowned architect and sculptor, renowned for his work on the Basilica of St. Peter's in Rome.

Another significant figure bearing the surname Chelli was Pietro Chelli (1743-1821), an Italian painter and engraver from Siena. His works can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Tuscany.

In the 19th century, the Chelli name gained further recognition with the birth of Enrico Chelli (1846-1923), an Italian engineer and inventor from Florence. He is credited with developing an early version of the internal combustion engine and contributed significantly to the field of automotive engineering.

Other notable individuals with the surname Chelli include Guido Chelli (1906-1984), an Italian artist and sculptor known for his abstract and modern works, and Marcello Chelli (1919-2003), an Italian film director and screenwriter who worked on several notable Italian cinema productions.

While the surname Chelli is more prevalent in Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Lazio, it has also been documented in other parts of the world, likely due to Italian migration and diaspora over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chelli

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Chelli.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Chelli was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Chelli has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Chelli was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Chelli, please contact us.

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