2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Grizzanti
A surname potentially derived from the Italian word "grizzante," meaning curly or wavy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Grizzanti. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grizzanti 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Grizzanti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grizzanti, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grizzanti
The surname Grizzanti has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian word "griggio" or "grigio," meaning "grey" or "greyish," possibly referencing an individual's physical appearance or complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the archives of the city of Pisa, where a certain Grizzante di Guido appears in a legal document from 1217. Another notable early mention is in the records of the Republic of Florence, where a Grizzanti family is listed among the city's noble households in the 14th century.
The name Grizzanti has also been associated with several historical figures throughout the centuries. One prominent example is Matteo Grizzanti (1489-1564), a renowned Italian painter and architect from Bologna, known for his work on the Palazzo dei Banchi in his hometown.
Another notable bearer of the name was Girolamo Grizzanti (1539-1619), a Jesuit priest and scholar from Ferrara, who authored several theological treatises and served as a professor of philosophy at the University of Parma.
In the 18th century, Gaetano Grizzanti (1715-1784) was a celebrated Italian composer and violinist from Bologna, who contributed to the development of the classical concerto form.
Moving into the 19th century, Giuseppe Grizzanti (1823-1899) was an Italian politician and journalist from Modena, known for his involvement in the Risorgimento movement and the unification of Italy.
Lastly, the 20th century saw the prominence of Aldo Grizzanti (1919-1994), an Italian architect and urban planner from Florence, who played a significant role in the post-war reconstruction and modernization of many Italian cities.
While the name Grizzanti is not as widely spread as some other Italian surnames, it has left an indelible mark on various fields throughout history, from the arts and academia to politics and architecture, serving as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grizzanti
Among Census respondents with the surname Grizzanti, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Grizzanti 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 Grizzanti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 12
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grizzanti
Grizzanti 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
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,788 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 7,788 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 Grizzanti 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 | #157,234 | #149,446 | 5.0% |
| Count | 103 | 110 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grizzanti bearers went from 103 to 110 (+6.8% change). The surname moved up 7,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #149,446.
FAQ
Grizzanti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grizzanti?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Grizzanti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Grizzanti?
Grizzanti ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Grizzanti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Grizzanti.
Has Grizzanti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grizzanti went from 103 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 7 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Grizzanti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grizzanti, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Black (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 Grizzanti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grizzanti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (10.9%), Black (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 Grizzanti (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 Grizzanti mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Italian word "grizzante," meaning curly or wavy. 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 Grizzanti (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 Americans have the surname Grizzanti?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.