2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cirnigliaro
A surname denoting a person who made or sold brooms, derived from the Italian word for broom.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Cirnigliaro. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cirnigliaro 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Cirnigliaro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cirnigliaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cirnigliaro
The surname "CIRNIGLIARO" has its roots in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in Sicily, where it was likely derived from a combination of Sicilian words that referred to a particular occupation or geographical feature.
One possible origin of the name could be the Sicilian word "cirna," which means "ridge" or "peak," combined with the word "gliaro," which means "stone" or "rock." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who lived or worked in a mountainous or rocky area, perhaps as a shepherd or farmer.
Another theory suggests that the name may have evolved from the Sicilian word "cirnigliu," which means "sieve" or "strainer." This could indicate that the name was originally associated with someone who worked in the production or use of sieves, such as a miller or a baker.
In the early 13th century, there are records of a family bearing the name "Cirnigliaro" in the town of Castellammare del Golfo, located on the northwestern coast of Sicily. One notable member of this family was Giovanni Cirnigliaro, who was born in 1275 and served as a magistrate in the local court.
During the 14th century, the name appears in various documents and records from other parts of Sicily, including the cities of Palermo and Catania. One prominent individual from this time was Pietro Cirnigliaro, a merchant and landowner born in Palermo in 1341.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Cirnigliaro family migrated to the Italian mainland, settling in the region of Calabria. One notable figure from this period was Lucrezia Cirnigliaro, born in 1577 in the town of Reggio Calabria, who was known for her charitable works and support of local churches and monasteries.
Throughout the following centuries, the Cirnigliaro name continued to be found in various regions of Italy, with individuals from this family contributing to various fields, including the arts, literature, and politics. Some notable examples include:
1. Vincenzo Cirnigliaro (1824-1901), a Sicilian painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes.
2. Antonino Cirnigliaro (1867-1942), a politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian parliament.
3. Carmela Cirnigliaro (1898-1976), a Calabrian author and poet whose works explored themes of love and nature.
4. Salvatore Cirnigliaro (1920-2005), a renowned conductor and composer who led several orchestras in Italy and abroad.
5. Francesca Cirnigliaro (1952-present), a contemporary sculptor and installation artist based in Rome.
While the name "CIRNIGLIARO" may have evolved over time and spread to different regions of Italy, its origins can be traced back to the vibrant history and culture of medieval Sicily, where it likely held significance related to local occupations, geography, or traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cirnigliaro
Among Census respondents with the surname Cirnigliaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cirnigliaro 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 Cirnigliaro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino12.7% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cirnigliaro
Cirnigliaro 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,533 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 5,533 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 3,182 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 Cirnigliaro 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 | #152,628 | #149,446 | 2.1% |
| Count | 107 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cirnigliaro bearers went from 107 to 110 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 3,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #149,446.
FAQ
Cirnigliaro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cirnigliaro?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Cirnigliaro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Cirnigliaro?
Cirnigliaro ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Cirnigliaro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Cirnigliaro.
Has Cirnigliaro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cirnigliaro went from 107 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Cirnigliaro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cirnigliaro, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.7%). 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 Cirnigliaro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cirnigliaro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (12.7%). 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 Cirnigliaro (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 Cirnigliaro mean?
A surname denoting a person who made or sold brooms, derived from the Italian word for broom. 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 Cirnigliaro (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 have the last name Cirnigliaro?
Want to know how many people have the last name Cirnigliaro? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.