2000
#12,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,342
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Lentini
Derived from the Italian town of Lentini in Sicily, likely referring to an early inhabitant or native of that place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,338 Americans carry the last name Lentini. That puts it at #14,136 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,602 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lentini 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
2.3K
1 in 146,602
Census rank
#14,136
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,039 bearers of the surname Lentini in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14136th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lentini, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lentini
The surname Lentini has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Sicily. It is believed to have originated in the town of Lentini, located in the province of Syracuse, Sicily. The name itself is derived from the Latin word "lentinus," which means "from Lentini."
Lentini is a town with a rich history dating back to ancient times. It was founded by the Sicilian Greeks in the 7th century BC and was known as "Leontini" or "Lentini" in ancient Greek. The town played a significant role in the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, and its name is mentioned in various historical records from that period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lentini can be found in the Sicilian Vespers, a rebellion against the Angevin rule in Sicily in 1282. During this uprising, a nobleman named Giovanni Lentini is mentioned as one of the leaders of the rebellion.
In the 14th century, another notable figure bearing the surname Lentini was Giacomo Lentini, a Sicilian poet and notary who lived between 1210 and 1260. He is considered one of the earliest known poets to write in the Sicilian language and is regarded as a pioneer of the Sicilian School of poetry.
During the Renaissance period, the Lentini family gained prominence in the city of Palermo, Sicily. One of the most notable members was Vincenzo Lentini (1488-1566), a renowned architect and sculptor who contributed to the construction of various churches and palaces in Palermo.
In the 17th century, a Sicilian nobleman named Antonio Lentini (1616-1675) played a significant role in the political and military affairs of Sicily. He served as the viceroy of Sicily and was involved in the defense of the island against Ottoman invasions.
Another notable figure with the surname Lentini was Rosario Lentini (1859-1937), a Sicilian politician and lawyer who served as the mayor of Palermo from 1914 to 1919. He was also a member of the Italian Parliament and played a crucial role in the development of the city's infrastructure and public services.
Throughout history, the surname Lentini has been associated with various places in Sicily, such as Lentini, Palermo, and other towns and villages in the region. It is a name that has endured for centuries and continues to be carried by many families of Sicilian descent around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lentini
Among Census respondents with the surname Lentini, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lentini 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 Lentini surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,868
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 103
- Two or more races2.2% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 17
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lentini
Lentini 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
#11,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,677
+335 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 488 places
2020
#14,136
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,039
-638 bearers (-23.8%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 2,427 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,197 | 2,342 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,709 | 2,677 | 0.91 | +335 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 488 places |
| 2020 | #14,136 | 2,039 | 0.68 | -638 bearers (-23.8%) | Down 2,427 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 Lentini 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 | #11,709 | #14,136 | -20.7% |
| Count | 2,677 | 2,039 | -23.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.68 | -25.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lentini bearers went from 2,677 to 2,039 (-23.8% change). The surname moved down 2,427 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,709 to #14,136.
FAQ
Lentini surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lentini?
Name Census estimates that about 2,338 living Americans carry the surname Lentini. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,602 residents.
How common is Lentini?
Lentini ranks #14,136 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,039 people with the surname Lentini. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,338), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lentini.
Has Lentini become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lentini went from 2,677 recorded bearers to 2,039. That is a decrease of 638 (-23.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,709 to #14,136.
What does the Census say about the background of Lentini?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lentini, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Lentini in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,868 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lentini appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Lentini (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 Lentini mean?
Derived from the Italian town of Lentini in Sicily, likely referring to an early inhabitant or native of that place. 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 Lentini (0.68 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 are called Lentini?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Lentini at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.