2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Illy
An Italian surname derived from the Latin name Aelius or Aelidia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Illy. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Illy 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Illy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Illy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Illy
The surname ILLY originated in Italy, where it is believed to have first appeared in the region of Piedmont during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Italian word "ille," meaning "that" or "those," which may have been used to describe someone who lived near a particular landmark or location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the ILLY surname appears in a document from the 13th century, which mentions a man named Giovanni ILLY residing in the town of Cuneo, Piedmont. This suggests that the name had already become established in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, the ILLY name appeared in a manuscript detailing the noble families of the city of Turin, indicating that members of the family had achieved a certain level of prominence and social status.
A notable figure from the ILLY lineage was Francesco ILLY, a renowned artist and sculptor who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was renowned for his intricate marble sculptures, many of which can still be found adorning churches and public buildings throughout northern Italy.
Another notable bearer of the ILLY surname was Giambattista ILLY, a prominent lawyer and jurist who lived in the 18th century. He served as a magistrate in the city of Asti and was known for his deep knowledge of Roman law and his fair and impartial rulings.
In the 19th century, the ILLY family continued to make their mark in various fields. Pietro ILLY (1810-1892) was a successful entrepreneur who established a thriving textile business in the city of Biella, while his contemporary, Giulia ILLY (1825-1898), was a celebrated philanthropist and patron of the arts.
One of the most famous individuals with the ILLY surname was Renato ILLY (1904-1983), a pioneer in the coffee industry. He founded the renowned illycaffè company in Trieste, which revolutionized the way coffee was produced and marketed, and became a global brand known for its high-quality espresso blends.
While the ILLY surname may have originated in the Piedmont region of Italy, it has since spread throughout the country and beyond, with bearers of the name making significant contributions in fields as diverse as art, law, business, and industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Illy
Among Census respondents with the surname Illy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Illy 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 Illy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 7
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Illy
Illy 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,463 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 5,463 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 3,445 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 Illy 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 | #145,220 | #148,665 | -2.4% |
| Count | 114 | 111 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Illy bearers went from 114 to 111 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 3,445 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #148,665.
FAQ
Illy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Illy?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Illy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Illy?
Illy ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Illy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Illy.
Has Illy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Illy went from 114 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Illy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Illy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Illy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Illy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (6.3%), Black (1.8%). 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 Illy (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 Illy mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin name Aelius or Aelidia. 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 Illy (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 surname Illy?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.