Find out how popular the last name Franzese is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Franzese.

Franzese, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Franzese surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Franzese in America

Franzese is the 21524th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Franzese surname appeared 1,213 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Franzese.

We can also compare 2010 data for Franzese to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Franzese

The surname Franzese is of Italian origin, emerging in the southern regions of the country during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "francese," which means "French," suggesting that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals or families with ties to France.

Historically, many surnames were occupational or descriptive in nature, and Franzese could have been used to identify individuals with connections to French culture, language, or trade. Alternatively, it may have been a nickname given to those who exhibited French-like characteristics or mannerisms.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Franzese can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bari, dating back to the 12th century. This suggests that the name was already in use in southern Italy during that time period.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Franzese (1438-1516) was a renowned humanist scholar and diplomat from Naples. He served as a secretary to King Ferdinand I of Naples and was highly regarded for his literary contributions.

Another prominent individual bearing the surname Franzese was Gaspare Franzese (1564-1638), a Italian painter and architect from Perugia. He is best known for his work on the Palazzo dei Priori, a historic building in Perugia, and for his contributions to the city's architectural landscape.

Turning to more recent history, Vincenzo Franzese (1914-1994) was a notorious member of the Genovese crime family in New York City. He gained notoriety for his involvement in various criminal activities, including extortion and racketeering.

Lastly, Antonio Franzese (1905-1981), born in Agrigento, Sicily, was a renowned Italian-American sculptor and artist. He is particularly celebrated for his large-scale public sculptures and monuments, many of which can be found in cities across the United States.

These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the surname Franzese throughout history, from scholars and artists to those with more nefarious connections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Franzese

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Franzese.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Franzese was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Franzese has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Franzese was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Franzese, please contact us.

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