2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Clemenza
A surname derived from the Italian word "clemenza," meaning mercy or clemency.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Clemenza. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Clemenza 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Clemenza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Clemenza, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Clemenza
The surname Clemenza is of Italian origin, derived from the masculine given name Clemente, which in turn comes from the Latin name Clemens, meaning "merciful" or "mild." The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, particularly in the central and southern parts of the country.
The name Clemenza can be traced to the Latin root "clementia," which signifies gentleness, kindness, or mercy. This connection suggests that the name may have originally been bestowed upon individuals known for their compassionate or clement nature.
In the 14th century, the name appears in historical records from the city of Naples, where a prominent family bearing the surname Clemenza held significant influence. One notable member, Giovanni Clemenza, was a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Kingdom of Naples during the reign of King Robert of Anjou (1309-1343).
Another early record of the name can be found in the Florentine Codex, a 16th-century ethnographic work chronicling the history and culture of the Aztec people in Mexico. In this document, a Spanish conquistador named Juan Clemenza is mentioned as part of the expedition led by Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico.
In the 17th century, a renowned architect named Francesco Clemenza gained recognition for his contributions to the architectural landscape of Rome. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable churches and palaces, including the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria and the Palazzo Pamphilj.
During the 19th century, a prominent Italian painter, Gaetano Clemenza (1809-1867), achieved fame for his masterful depictions of landscapes and rural scenes. His works are celebrated for capturing the essence of Italian countryside life and can be found in various museums and private collections worldwide.
Another notable figure was Antonio Clemenza (1856-1919), an Italian mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He served as a professor at the University of Naples and was a member of the prestigious Accademia dei Lincei, one of the oldest scientific academies in Europe.
Throughout history, the surname Clemenza has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, architects, and scientists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Clemenza
Among Census respondents with the surname Clemenza, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Clemenza 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 Clemenza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino14.7% · 17
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Clemenza
Clemenza 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,849 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,920 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,849 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,920 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 Clemenza 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 | #142,108 | #145,028 | -2.1% |
| Count | 117 | 116 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Clemenza bearers went from 117 to 116 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,920 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #145,028.
FAQ
Clemenza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Clemenza?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Clemenza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Clemenza?
Clemenza ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Clemenza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Clemenza.
Has Clemenza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Clemenza went from 117 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Clemenza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Clemenza, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Clemenza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Clemenza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Hispanic (14.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Clemenza (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 Clemenza mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "clemenza," meaning mercy or clemency. 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 Clemenza (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 Clemenza?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Clemenza on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.