2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Essi
An Italian surname derived from a regional nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Essi. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Essi 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Essi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Essi, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Essi
The surname "ESSI" has its origins in Italy, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Italian word "esse," which means "to be" or "to exist." This name was likely given to individuals who possessed a strong sense of self or had a notable presence in their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ESSI can be found in the archives of the city of Siena, where a document from 1276 mentions a certain "Giovanni Essi." This suggests that the name was already established in the region of Tuscany during that time period.
In the 14th century, the name ESSI appeared in the records of the city of Florence, where a merchant named "Battista Essi" was mentioned in a trade agreement dated 1337. This indicates that the family had achieved a level of prominence and influence in the thriving commercial hub of Florence.
The ESSI surname also has ties to the small town of Assisi, located in the region of Umbria. In the 15th century, a prominent scholar and philosopher named "Piero Essi" (1423-1498) hailed from this town and made significant contributions to the intellectual discourse of the Renaissance period.
During the 16th century, the ESSI family produced a notable figure in the form of "Giulio Essi" (1547-1621), a renowned architect who played a crucial role in the design and construction of several notable buildings in Rome, including the Chiesa Nuova and the Palazzo Borghese.
Another influential individual bearing the ESSI surname was "Vincenzo Essi" (1678-1744), a celebrated painter from the city of Naples. His works, which included religious paintings and portraits, adorned many churches and noble residences throughout the Italian peninsula.
Throughout the centuries, the ESSI surname has been associated with various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, and Campania. While the name has undergone some minor spelling variations over time, such as "Essi," "Essi," and "Essi," its core meaning and significance have remained intact.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Essi
Among Census respondents with the surname Essi, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Essi 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 Essi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.7% · 87
- Black or African American15.7% · 18
- Two or more races5.2% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Essi
Essi appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+12 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,477 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 11,477 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 Essi 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 | #157,234 | #145,757 | 7.3% |
| Count | 103 | 115 | 11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Essi bearers went from 103 to 115 (+11.7% change). The surname moved up 11,477 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #145,757.
FAQ
Essi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Essi?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Essi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Essi?
Essi ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Essi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Essi.
Has Essi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Essi went from 103 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 12 (+11.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Essi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Essi, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (15.7%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Essi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.7% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Essi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.7%), Black (15.7%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Essi (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 Essi mean?
An Italian surname derived from a regional nickname. 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 Essi (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 Essi?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.