2000
#13,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,021
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Fedele
An Italian surname meaning "faithful" or "loyal," derived from the Latin word "fidelis."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,086 Americans carry the last name Fedele. That puts it at #15,502 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,312 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fedele 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
2.1K
1 in 164,312
Census rank
#15,502
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,819 bearers of the surname Fedele in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15502nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fedele, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fedele
The surname FEDELE has its origins in Italy, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "fedele," which means "faithful" or "loyal." This name was likely bestowed upon individuals who exhibited traits of unwavering loyalty or devotion, possibly to a noble family, a religious order, or a particular cause.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FEDELE surname can be found in historical documents from the city of Florence, dating back to the 13th century. During this time, the FEDELE family was a prominent noble clan in the region, with members holding influential positions within the city's government and merchant guilds.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Giovanni FEDELE (1292-1348) gained recognition as a renowned scholar and philosopher. He was a professor at the University of Bologna and authored several treatises on logic and natural philosophy, which were widely studied and referenced during the Renaissance period.
The FEDELE surname also has ties to the Catholic Church, with several individuals bearing this name having served as clergymen or religious figures. One such example is Cardinal Fedele Lamberti (1564-1637), who was a prominent figure in the Roman Curia during the 17th century and served as the Bishop of Cremona.
Another notable individual with the FEDELE surname was Fedele Fenaroli (1730-1818), an Italian composer and music theorist. He was a highly respected teacher at the Naples Conservatory and made significant contributions to the development of music theory and composition techniques during the Classical era.
In the artistic realm, the painter Fedele Fischetti (1732-1792) gained recognition for his works, which were heavily influenced by the Baroque and Rococo styles. His paintings adorned numerous churches and noble residences throughout Italy, showcasing his skill in portraiture and religious compositions.
While the FEDELE surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by Italian immigrants and their descendants. However, its rich history and cultural significance remain deeply rooted in the Italian peninsula, where it has been a prominent name for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fedele
Among Census respondents with the surname Fedele, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Fedele 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 Fedele surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 1,644
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 105
- Two or more races2.3% · 41
- Black or African American1.0% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fedele
Fedele 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
#14,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,085
+64 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 601 places
2020
#15,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,819
-266 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 1,153 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,748 | 2,021 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,349 | 2,085 | 0.71 | +64 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 601 places |
| 2020 | #15,502 | 1,819 | 0.61 | -266 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 1,153 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 Fedele 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 | #14,349 | #15,502 | -8.0% |
| Count | 2,085 | 1,819 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.61 | -14.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fedele bearers went from 2,085 to 1,819 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 1,153 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,349 to #15,502.
FAQ
Fedele surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fedele?
Name Census estimates that about 2,086 living Americans carry the surname Fedele. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,312 residents.
How common is Fedele?
Fedele ranks #15,502 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,819 people with the surname Fedele. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,086), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Fedele.
Has Fedele become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fedele went from 2,085 recorded bearers to 1,819. That is a decrease of 266 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,349 to #15,502.
What does the Census say about the background of Fedele?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fedele, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) 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 Fedele in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (1,644 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fedele appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (5.8%), 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 Fedele (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 Fedele mean?
An Italian surname meaning "faithful" or "loyal," derived from the Latin word "fidelis." 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 Fedele (0.61 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 Fedele?
Want to know how common the surname Fedele is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.