2000
#3,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,284
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.81
Uncommon Last name
Conti
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who counts or keeps accounts, derived from "conte" meaning "count."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,109 Americans carry the last name Conti. That puts it at #3,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,854 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Conti 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Conti with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,854
Census rank
#3,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,688 bearers of the surname Conti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Conti, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Conti
The surname Conti is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "comes" or "comitis," which means "count" or "nobleman." This suggests that the name was initially borne by individuals who held the title of count or were associated with the nobility.
In the early Middle Ages, the Conti name was prominent in various regions of Italy, particularly in the central and northern areas. It was often used as a descriptive surname, indicating the person's noble status or association with a specific count or noble family.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Conti surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during the reign of the Lombard kings.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the Conti surname. One of the most prominent was Niccolò Conti, an Italian merchant and explorer who traveled extensively in Asia during the early 15th century. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore parts of modern-day India, Southeast Asia, and the Indonesian archipelago.
Another notable figure was Vincenzo Conti, an Italian mathematician and philosopher who lived in the 17th century (1589-1675). He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and is recognized for his work on conic sections and the calculus of variations.
In the realm of art, the Conti surname is associated with the Renaissance painter Bernardino Conti (c. 1515-1584), who was renowned for his religious paintings and frescoes in various churches throughout Italy.
The Conti family also played a significant role in the history of the Catholic Church. One notable figure was Innocenzo Conti, an Italian prelate who served as the Bishop of Viterbo from 1650 to 1655.
Beyond Italy, the Conti surname can also be found in other European countries, such as France and Spain, where it may have been adopted by individuals with connections to Italian nobility or through migration and intermarriage.
While the Conti surname has its roots in the noble and aristocratic classes of medieval Italy, it has since become a widespread surname across various regions and social strata, reflecting the changing dynamics of society over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Conti
Among Census respondents with the surname Conti, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Conti 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 Conti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 8,745
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 522
- Two or more races2.2% · 214
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 114
- Black or African American0.8% · 80
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Conti
Conti 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
#3,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,526
+242 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 3.57
Rank movement Down 202 places
2020
#3,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,688
-838 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 3.24
Rank movement Down 193 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,195 | 10,284 | 3.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,397 | 10,526 | 3.57 | +242 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 202 places |
| 2020 | #3,590 | 9,688 | 3.24 | -838 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 193 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 Conti 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 | #3,397 | #3,590 | -5.7% |
| Count | 10,526 | 9,688 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.57 | 3.24 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Conti bearers went from 10,526 to 9,688 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 193 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,397 to #3,590.
FAQ
Conti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Conti?
Name Census estimates that about 11,109 living Americans carry the surname Conti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,854 residents.
How common is Conti?
Conti ranks #3,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,688 people with the surname Conti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,109), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Conti.
Has Conti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Conti went from 10,526 recorded bearers to 9,688. That is a decrease of 838 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,397 to #3,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Conti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Conti, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Conti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (8,745 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Conti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Conti (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 Conti mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who counts or keeps accounts, derived from "conte" meaning "count." 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 Conti (3.24 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 Conti?
See how many Americans have the surname Conti on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.