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

Cifelli, 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 Cifelli surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cifelli in America

Cifelli is the 23371st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cifelli surname appeared 1,089 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 Cifelli.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cifelli 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 Cifelli

The surname Cifelli has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern region of Campania. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Latin word "civilia," which means "city" or "town."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cifelli can be found in a document from the 13th century, where it is mentioned in relation to a family residing in the town of Avellino, near Naples. This suggests that the name may have originated as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who came from a particular town or village.

During the 14th century, the Cifelli name appears in various records and manuscripts from the Kingdom of Naples, indicating that the family had established itself as part of the local nobility. One notable individual from this era was Giovanni Cifelli, a wealthy landowner and merchant who lived in the city of Salerno between 1320 and 1385.

As the Cifelli family grew in prominence, they began to spread across other regions of Italy, particularly in the neighboring areas of Lazio and Abruzzo. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the town of Fondi, located in the province of Latina, where they became known for their involvement in the local wine trade.

One of the most famous individuals to bear the Cifelli name was Gian Battista Cifelli, an Italian architect and engineer who lived from 1584 to 1638. He is best known for his work on the design and construction of several churches and palaces in Rome, including the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria.

Other notable figures with the surname Cifelli include Alessandro Cifelli (1520-1592), a renowned painter from the Mannerist era, and Girolamo Cifelli (1640-1705), a Baroque composer and organist who worked in Naples and Rome.

In the 19th century, the Cifelli family continued to maintain a presence in various parts of Italy, with branches residing in cities such as Naples, Rome, and Palermo. One individual of note from this period was Vincenzo Cifelli (1825-1891), a poet and writer who was born in the town of Gioia del Colle, in the Apulia region.

Another prominent figure was Enrico Cifelli (1870-1935), a lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Parliament, representing the city of Avellino, which was likely the ancestral home of his family's name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cifelli

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

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 Cifelli 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 Cifelli 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 Cifelli was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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