2000
#10,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,742
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.02
Rare Last name
Colletti
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who makes or sells collets, a type of neck armor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,967 Americans carry the last name Colletti. That puts it at #11,611 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 115,522 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colletti 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
3.0K
1 in 115,522
Census rank
#11,611
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,587 bearers of the surname Colletti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11611th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colletti, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colletti
The surname Colletti originates from Italy and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "colletto," which means "collar" or "neckband," suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for a collar maker or someone who worked with collars or neckwear.
The earliest recorded instances of the Colletti surname can be found in various Italian historical documents, such as birth and marriage records, property deeds, and tax rolls. One notable example is a reference to a Giancarlo Colletti in a land deed from the city of Siena, dated 1327.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the records of the Venetian Republic, where a prominent merchant family, the Collettis, played a significant role in the city's trade and commerce. The family's wealth and influence were evident in their ownership of several properties and businesses throughout the region.
During the Renaissance period, the Colletti name was associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences. One such figure was Antonio Colletti, a renowned painter from Florence who lived from 1450 to 1522. His works can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.
Another prominent individual bearing the Colletti surname was Guglielmo Colletti, a philosopher and scholar who lived from 1606 to 1681. He was known for his writings on metaphysics and logic, and his works were widely studied in universities across Europe.
In the 18th century, the Colletti family produced a distinguished military leader, General Vincenzo Colletti (1725-1802). He served in the Napoleonic Wars and was renowned for his strategic military campaigns throughout Europe.
As the Colletti surname spread beyond Italy, it found its way into other countries, such as France and Spain, where variations of the name emerged, including Coletti and Colet. One notable French bearer of the name was the philosopher and theologian Pierre Colet (1467-1519), who played a significant role in the Catholic Reformation.
Throughout its history, the Colletti surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Veneto, and Sicily. While the name has evolved and spread across different regions, its Italian roots and connection to the collar-making trade remain a significant part of its rich historical lineage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colletti
Among Census respondents with the surname Colletti, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Colletti 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 Colletti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,377
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 114
- Two or more races2.3% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
- Black or African American0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colletti
Colletti 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
#11,589
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,710
-32 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 897 places
2020
#11,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,587
-123 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,692 | 2,742 | 1.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,589 | 2,710 | 0.92 | -32 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 897 places |
| 2020 | #11,611 | 2,587 | 0.87 | -123 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 22 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 Colletti 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 | #11,589 | #11,611 | -0.2% |
| Count | 2,710 | 2,587 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.92 | 0.87 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colletti bearers went from 2,710 to 2,587 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,589 to #11,611.
FAQ
Colletti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colletti?
Name Census estimates that about 2,967 living Americans carry the surname Colletti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 115,522 residents.
How common is Colletti?
Colletti ranks #11,611 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,587 people with the surname Colletti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,967), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Colletti.
Has Colletti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colletti went from 2,710 recorded bearers to 2,587. That is a decrease of 123 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,589 to #11,611.
What does the Census say about the background of Colletti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colletti, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Colletti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,377 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colletti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Colletti (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 Colletti mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who makes or sells collets, a type of neck armor. 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 Colletti (0.87 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 Americans have the surname Colletti?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.