2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Citti
An occupational surname derived from the Latin "civis" meaning citizen or townsperson.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 154 Americans carry the last name Citti. That puts it at #131,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,225,678 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Citti 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
154
1 in 2,225,678
Census rank
#131,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
134
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 134 bearers of the surname Citti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 131805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Citti, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Citti
The surname Citti has its origins in Italy, with records dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "citta," meaning "city" or "town." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in or was associated with a particular city or town.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Citti can be found in the historical documents of Florence, Italy, during the Renaissance period. The name appears in various municipal records and chronicles, indicating its presence among the city's inhabitants.
In the late 15th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Citti (1456-1519) was a prominent Florentine philosopher and humanist scholar. He was known for his contributions to the study of classical literature and his involvement in intellectual circles of the time.
Another historical reference to the surname Citti can be found in the annals of the Republic of Venice. In the 16th century, a merchant named Marco Citti (1523-1598) was documented as having conducted trade operations between Venice and the Eastern Mediterranean regions.
The surname Citti also has connections to the city of Siena, where records from the 17th century mention a family with this name. One notable figure was Francesco Citti (1615-1688), a renowned painter and architect who left a significant impact on the artistic landscape of Siena.
In the 18th century, the name Citti appeared in the writings of the Italian playwright and librettist Pietro Citti (1711-1782). His works were widely acclaimed and performed in the theaters of Naples and other Italian cities during his lifetime.
As the surname Citti spread across Italy, it became associated with various places and regions. For instance, in the 19th century, there were records of individuals with the surname Citti hailing from the town of Citti della Pieve in the province of Perugia, Umbria.
While the surname Citti has a predominantly Italian origin, it has also found its way into other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its earliest and most significant roots can be traced back to the cities and towns of Renaissance Italy, where it first emerged and left its mark on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Citti
Among Census respondents with the surname Citti, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Citti 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 Citti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 125
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Citti
Citti 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
#119,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
+5 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,019 places
2020
#131,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
-11 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #119,508 | 145 | 0.05 | +5 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 4,019 places |
| 2020 | #131,805 | 134 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 12,297 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 Citti 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 | #119,508 | #131,805 | -10.3% |
| Count | 145 | 134 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Citti bearers went from 145 to 134 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 12,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #119,508 to #131,805.
FAQ
Citti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Citti?
Name Census estimates that about 154 living Americans carry the surname Citti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,225,678 residents.
How common is Citti?
Citti ranks #131,805 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 134 people with the surname Citti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (154), 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 Citti.
Has Citti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Citti went from 145 recorded bearers to 134. That is a decrease of 11 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #119,508 to #131,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Citti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Citti, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Citti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (125 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Citti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (4.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.5%). 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 Citti (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 Citti mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Latin "civis" meaning citizen or townsperson. 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 Citti (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 Citti?
Want to know how many people have the surname Citti? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.