2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Denni
From Gaelic origin meaning descendant of the brown-haired man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Denni. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Denni 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Denni in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Denni, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Two or More Races (8.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Denni
The surname DENNI is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Lombardy, during the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian word "Denny," which means "from the valley." This suggests that the name was initially used to identify individuals who lived in or near a particular valley.
DENNI is thought to be a variant spelling of the Italian surname "Deni," which shares a similar origin and meaning. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period, dating back to the 8th century.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Guglielmo DENNI (1302-1368) was a renowned scholar and philosopher from the city of Cremona, Lombardy. His writings and teachings significantly influenced the intellectual discourse of his time.
During the Renaissance period, the DENNI surname gained further recognition with the artist and architect Antonio DENNI (1455-1522). He was commissioned by the Medici family to design several notable buildings in Florence, including the Church of San Lorenzo.
Another notable bearer of the DENNI surname was Girolamo DENNI (1570-1638), a celebrated poet and playwright from Venice. His works, such as "Il Furioso" and "La Veneziana," were widely acclaimed and performed throughout Italy during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, a wealthy merchant named Pietro DENNI (1712-1789) from Milan played a significant role in the expansion of the city's trade and commerce. He established several successful business ventures and was known for his philanthropic endeavors.
The DENNI surname has also been associated with various place names in Italy, such as the town of Deni in the province of Pavia, Lombardy. Additionally, there are records of the variant spelling "Denny" being used in certain regions of Italy, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the geographical reference to valleys or lowlands.
Overall, the surname DENNI has a rich and diverse history, with its roots firmly planted in the Italian regions of Lombardy and Venice. It has been carried by notable figures in various fields, including academia, arts, literature, and commerce, contributing to the cultural and historical fabric of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Denni
Among Census respondents with the surname Denni, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Two or More Races (8.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Denni 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 Denni surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.9% · 74
- Hispanic or Latino16.5% · 18
- Two or more races8.3% · 9
- Black or African American5.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Denni
Denni 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-14 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,541 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,702 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 23,541 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 4,702 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 Denni 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 | #154,907 | #150,205 | 3.0% |
| Count | 105 | 109 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Denni bearers went from 105 to 109 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 4,702 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #150,205.
FAQ
Denni surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Denni?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Denni. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Denni?
Denni ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Denni. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Denni.
Has Denni become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Denni went from 105 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Denni?
Among Census respondents with the surname Denni, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Two or More Races (8.3%). 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 Denni in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.9% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Denni appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.9%), Hispanic (16.5%), Two or More Races (8.3%). 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 Denni (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 Denni mean?
From Gaelic origin meaning descendant of the brown-haired man. 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 Denni (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 share the surname Denni?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.