2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Frani
An Italian surname potentially derived from the medieval personal name "Franco".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Frani. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Frani 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Frani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Frani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.2%. The next largest groups are White (22.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Frani
The surname Frani has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have evolved from the Italian word "frano," which means "landslide" or "avalanche." This suggests that the name may have originated from a particular location or region known for its rocky terrain or susceptibility to landslides.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Frani can be found in the historical records of the town of Treviso, located in the Veneto region of northern Italy. In a document dated 1327, a certain Jacopo Frani was mentioned as a landowner and influential member of the local community.
During the Renaissance period, the name Frani gained prominence in the city of Florence. Giovanni Frani (1490-1564), a renowned sculptor and architect, was commissioned to design several notable buildings, including the Palazzo Frani, which still stands today as a testament to his artistic legacy.
In the 17th century, the Frani family established itself as a prominent mercantile dynasty in the city of Venice. Antonio Frani (1612-1678), a successful trader and businessman, amassed significant wealth through his commercial ventures and left a lasting impact on the city's economic landscape.
The name Frani also appeared in historical records from the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. In the town of Cuneo, a document from 1732 mentions a certain Maria Frani, who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.
Moving forward in time, the 19th century saw the rise of a notable figure named Giuseppe Frani (1824-1896), a renowned philosopher and academic from the city of Milan. His works on ethics and moral philosophy were widely influential during his lifetime and continue to be studied by scholars to this day.
Throughout history, the surname Frani has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including artists, intellectuals, merchants, and landowners. While the name may have originated from a specific geographical location, it has since spread across Italy and beyond, carrying with it a rich heritage and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Frani
Among Census respondents with the surname Frani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.2%. The next largest groups are White (22.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Frani 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 Frani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander76.2% · 80
- White22.9% · 24
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Frani
Frani 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,457 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 Frani 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 | #151,532 | #152,989 | -1.0% |
| Count | 108 | 105 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Frani bearers went from 108 to 105 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,989.
FAQ
Frani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Frani?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Frani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Frani?
Frani ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Frani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Frani.
Has Frani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Frani went from 108 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Frani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Frani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.2%. The next largest groups are White (22.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Frani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.2% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Frani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (76.2%), White (22.9%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Frani (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 Frani mean?
An Italian surname potentially derived from the medieval personal name "Franco". 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 Frani (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 Frani?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.