2000
#11,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,545
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Festa
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who organized or participated in festivities or celebrations.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,675 Americans carry the last name Festa. That puts it at #12,638 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,132 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Festa 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 Festa with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,132
Census rank
#12,638
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,333 bearers of the surname Festa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12638th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Festa, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Festa
The surname Festa originated in Italy, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian word "festa," meaning "feast" or "festival." This name was likely given to someone who lived near a church or town where annual feasts or celebrations were held.
The surname can be traced back to various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Sicily. In some areas, it was also spelled as "Feste" or "Festi." One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a document from 1235, mentioning a "Guglielmo Festa" from Florence.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in several historical records. For example, a "Pietro Festa" was mentioned in a Venetian manuscript from 1342, while a "Giovanni Festa" was recorded in a tax register in Genoa in 1379.
During the Renaissance period, the name became more prominent. One notable figure was the Italian sculptor and architect Giacomo Festa (1515-1597), who was responsible for creating the marble decorations in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Another significant individual was the Italian philosopher and poet Costanzo Festa (1495-1545), who was known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various regions of Italy. For instance, a "Domenico Festa" was recorded as a landowner in Naples in 1612, while a "Francesco Festa" was a merchant in Palermo, Sicily, in 1674.
In the 18th century, the name was associated with several notable figures. Vincenzo Festa (1738-1809) was an Italian composer and music teacher, known for his operas and sacred works.
Another individual was the Italian painter Pietro Festa (1700-1768), whose works can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.
The 19th century saw the surname Festa spread beyond Italy's borders. For example, a "Juan Festa" was recorded as a businessman in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1832, suggesting that the name had been carried by Italian immigrants to the Americas.
Throughout history, the surname Festa has been associated with various professions, including artists, scholars, merchants, and landowners. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Italy, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and diverse backgrounds of those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Festa
Among Census respondents with the surname Festa, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Festa 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 Festa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,123
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 102
- Two or more races2.4% · 57
- Black or African American1.2% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Festa
Festa 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
#11,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,626
+81 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 559 places
2020
#12,638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,333
-293 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 713 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,366 | 2,545 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,925 | 2,626 | 0.89 | +81 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 559 places |
| 2020 | #12,638 | 2,333 | 0.78 | -293 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 713 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 Festa 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 | #11,925 | #12,638 | -6.0% |
| Count | 2,626 | 2,333 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.78 | -12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Festa bearers went from 2,626 to 2,333 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 713 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,925 to #12,638.
FAQ
Festa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Festa?
Name Census estimates that about 2,675 living Americans carry the surname Festa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,132 residents.
How common is Festa?
Festa ranks #12,638 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,333 people with the surname Festa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,675), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Festa.
Has Festa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Festa went from 2,626 recorded bearers to 2,333. That is a decrease of 293 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,925 to #12,638.
What does the Census say about the background of Festa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Festa, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Festa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,123 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Festa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Festa (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 Festa mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who organized or participated in festivities or celebrations. 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 Festa (0.78 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 have the last name Festa?
See how many Americans have the surname Festa on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.