2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Forzani
An Italian surname possibly derived from the personal name "Forzano", meaning strong or robust.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Forzani. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Forzani 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Forzani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Forzani, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Forzani
The surname Forzani originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "forza," which means strength or force. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person of great physical strength or power.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Forzani dates back to the 16th century. In 1567, a document from the town of Parma mentioned a certain Giovanni Forzani, who was a local merchant. Another historical reference can be found in the archives of the city of Bologna, where a family by the name of Forzani is mentioned in records dating back to the late 1500s.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Forzani name appeared in various parts of northern Italy, particularly in the regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. One notable individual from this time period was Antonio Forzani, a renowned architect from Milan who lived from 1672 to 1743. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in the city, including the Church of San Fedele.
In the 19th century, the Forzani name continued to be present in various parts of Italy. One notable figure was Giuseppe Forzani, a lawyer and politician from Parma who lived from 1812 to 1878. He served as a member of the Italian parliament and was actively involved in the Risorgimento movement, which aimed to unify the various states of the Italian peninsula.
Another notable individual from this period was Alessandro Forzani, a renowned painter and sculptor born in Bologna in 1829. His works were widely acclaimed, and he contributed significantly to the artistic heritage of his home city. He passed away in 1898.
In the early 20th century, the Forzani name gained further recognition with the birth of Arturo Forzani, a renowned Italian opera singer. Born in 1892 in the town of Reggio Emilia, he performed in some of the most prestigious opera houses in Italy and abroad, including La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He was particularly acclaimed for his portrayal of various roles in the works of Verdi and Puccini.
Throughout history, the surname Forzani has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, architects, politicians, artists, and performers. While the name may have originated from the concept of physical strength, it has come to represent a diverse range of accomplishments and contributions to Italian culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Forzani
Among Census respondents with the surname Forzani, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Forzani 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 Forzani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.6% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino21.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Forzani
Forzani 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 989 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 989 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 Forzani 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 | #152,628 | #151,639 | 0.6% |
| Count | 107 | 107 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Forzani bearers went from 107 to 107 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 989 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #151,639.
FAQ
Forzani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Forzani?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Forzani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Forzani?
Forzani ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Forzani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Forzani.
Has Forzani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Forzani went from 107 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Forzani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Forzani, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Forzani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.6% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Forzani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.6%), Hispanic (21.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Forzani (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 Forzani mean?
An Italian surname possibly derived from the personal name "Forzano", meaning strong or robust. 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 Forzani (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 have the last name Forzani?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Forzani on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.