2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lemoncelli
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "limoncello," referring to the lemon liqueur or lemon groves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Lemoncelli. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lemoncelli 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Lemoncelli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemoncelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lemoncelli
The surname Lemoncelli originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Calabria and Campania, during the late Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "limone," meaning lemon, and the suffix "-celli," which denotes a diminutive form or a small version of something. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who cultivated or traded lemons.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lemoncelli can be found in the 14th century manuscript "Registri Angioini," which contains records of the Angevin dynasty that ruled over the Kingdom of Naples. In this document, a merchant named Giovanni Lemoncelli is mentioned as having conducted trade transactions with the court.
During the Renaissance period, the Lemoncelli family gained prominence in the city of Naples. Records from the 16th century indicate that a member of the family, Antonio Lemoncelli (1510-1588), was a respected scholar and philosopher who contributed to the intellectual discourse of the time.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Lemoncelli family settled in the town of Amalfi, located on the picturesque Amalfi Coast. This coastal town was known for its lemon cultivation, which may have further reinforced the connection between the family name and the citrus fruit.
One notable figure from this period was Alessandro Lemoncelli (1625-1701), a renowned architect who designed several churches and palaces in the Amalfi region, including the Duomo di Amalfi and the Palazzo Lemoncelli, which still stands today as a testament to his architectural prowess.
Another prominent individual bearing the Lemoncelli name was Maria Lemoncelli (1761-1833), a celebrated opera singer who performed in various theaters across Europe during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She was particularly renowned for her performances in the operas of Gioacchino Rossini.
In the 19th century, the Lemoncelli family continued to make contributions in various fields. Pietro Lemoncelli (1835-1901) was a respected lawyer and political figure who served as a member of the Italian parliament, representing the city of Naples.
Throughout its history, the surname Lemoncelli has been associated with a variety of professions and achievements, from merchants and scholars to architects and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and talents of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lemoncelli
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemoncelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lemoncelli 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 Lemoncelli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 108
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lemoncelli
Lemoncelli 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
#114,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153
+16 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 3,114 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-41 bearers (-26.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 33,530 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #114,424 | 153 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 3,114 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -41 bearers (-26.8%) | Down 33,530 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 Lemoncelli 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 | #114,424 | #147,954 | -29.3% |
| Count | 153 | 112 | -26.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lemoncelli bearers went from 153 to 112 (-26.8% change). The surname moved down 33,530 positions in the national ranking, going from #114,424 to #147,954.
FAQ
Lemoncelli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lemoncelli?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Lemoncelli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Lemoncelli?
Lemoncelli ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Lemoncelli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Lemoncelli.
Has Lemoncelli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lemoncelli went from 153 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 41 (-26.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #114,424 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Lemoncelli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemoncelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Lemoncelli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lemoncelli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Lemoncelli (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 Lemoncelli mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "limoncello," referring to the lemon liqueur or lemon groves. 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 Lemoncelli (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 Lemoncelli?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.