Dionisi
An Italian surname derived from the given name Dionisio, itself from the Greek god Dionysus.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 240 Americans carry the last name Dionisi. That puts it at #94,730 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,428,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dionisi surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
240
1 in 1,428,143
Census rank
#94,730
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
193
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 193 bearers of the surname Dionisi in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 94730th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dionisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dionisi
The surname DIONISI is of Italian origin, originating from the regions of Tuscany and Lazio during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Latin name "Dionysius," which was the Roman version of the Greek name "Dionysios," meaning "devoted to Dionysus," the god of wine and revelry.
The earliest recorded instances of the DIONISI surname can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in historical documents and records from various Tuscan and Lazio towns and cities. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Giovanni Dionisi, a merchant from Siena born in 1285, and Bartolomeo Dionisi, a notary from Rome who lived in the late 14th century.
In the 15th century, the DIONISI name appeared in the famous Catasto of 1427, a tax record compiled in Florence, indicating the presence of the family in the city during that time. One notable figure was Antonio Dionisi, a Florentine scholar and humanist born in 1447, who wrote several works on classical literature and philosophy.
The DIONISI surname also has historical connections to various place names in Italy. For example, the town of Dionisi in the province of Macerata, located in the Marche region, likely derived its name from the surname itself, suggesting that members of the Dionisi family may have resided or held property there.
Throughout history, several individuals with the DIONISI surname have achieved prominence in various fields. These include:
1. Filippo Dionisi (1501-1574), an Italian jurist and scholar from Verona.
2. Gian Giacomo Dionisi (1599-1659), an Italian architect and sculptor from Ferrara.
3. Giovanni Dionisi (1737-1808), an Italian scholar and historian from Verona, known for his extensive work on the history of the Vespro Siciliano, a 13th-century rebellion against the Angevin rule in Sicily.
4. Giacomo Dionisi (1737-1808), an Italian writer and poet from Verona, brother of Giovanni Dionisi.
5. Marcantonio Dionisi (1718-1788), an Italian mathematician and astronomer from Verona, known for his contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
These examples illustrate the long-standing presence and historical significance of the DIONISI surname, which has its roots in the ancient Roman and Greek cultures, and has been carried by notable individuals across various disciplines over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dionisi
Among Census respondents with the surname Dionisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dionisi bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Dionisi surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1%
- Hispanic or Latino11.4%
- Unknown or suppressed0.5%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Dionisi surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #96,480 | #94,730 | 1.8% |
| Count | 175 | 193 | 10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 16.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Dionisi bearers went from 175 to 193 (+10.3% change). The surname moved up 1,750 positions in the national ranking, going from #96,480 to #94,730.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dionisi
FAQ
Dionisi surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Dionisi?
The surname Dionisi holds position #94,730 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 240 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Dionisi surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dionisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.4%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.