2000
#17,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,539
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.57
Rare Last name
Leonetti
An Italian surname derived from the diminutive form of the name Leone, meaning "little lion."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,475 Americans carry the last name Leonetti. That puts it at #20,820 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 232,376 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leonetti 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
1.5K
1 in 232,376
Census rank
#20,820
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,286 bearers of the surname Leonetti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20820th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leonetti, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leonetti
The surname Leonetti has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It is derived from the Italian personal name "Leone," which translates to "lion" in English. This name has its roots in the Latin word "leo," which also means "lion."
Historically, the surname Leonetti was likely first adopted as a descriptive name, referring to someone with lion-like qualities or characteristics, such as bravery, strength, or a fierce appearance. It may have also been given as a nickname to someone who displayed these traits or had a physical resemblance to a lion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leonetti can be found in the medieval Florentine records from the 13th century, where it appears as "Leonetti." This spelling variation suggests that the name has been in use for several centuries in Italy.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name Leonetti was Giovanni Leonetti, a renowned painter from Siena who lived between 1456 and 1529. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy, showcasing the artistic talent associated with this surname.
Another prominent individual with the surname Leonetti was Alessandro Leonetti, an Italian sculptor and architect who lived from 1592 to 1649. He was celebrated for his baroque-style sculptures and architectural designs, leaving a lasting impact on the artistic landscape of Italy during the 17th century.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Tommaso Leonetti (1806-1875) was an Italian botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the field of plant taxonomy. He is known for his extensive work on the flora of the Italian Peninsula.
In the early 20th century, Alfredo Leonetti (1892-1966) was a prominent Italian actor and film director. He appeared in numerous films during the silent era and early talkies, leaving an indelible mark on the Italian cinema of his time.
Lastly, a more contemporary figure bearing the surname Leonetti is the late Gian Carlo Leonetti (1928-2017), an Italian singer and songwriter who achieved great success in the 1960s and 1970s with his romantic ballads and melodic compositions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leonetti
Among Census respondents with the surname Leonetti, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Leonetti 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 Leonetti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 1,169
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 75
- Two or more races2.0% · 26
- Black or African American0.5% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leonetti
Leonetti 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
#17,202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,646
+107 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Down 188 places
2020
#20,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,286
-360 bearers (-21.9%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Down 3,618 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,014 | 1,539 | 0.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,202 | 1,646 | 0.56 | +107 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 188 places |
| 2020 | #20,820 | 1,286 | 0.43 | -360 bearers (-21.9%) | Down 3,618 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 Leonetti 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 | #17,202 | #20,820 | -21.0% |
| Count | 1,646 | 1,286 | -21.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.43 | -23.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leonetti bearers went from 1,646 to 1,286 (-21.9% change). The surname moved down 3,618 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,202 to #20,820.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Leonetti
FAQ
Leonetti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leonetti?
Name Census estimates that about 1,475 living Americans carry the surname Leonetti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 232,376 residents.
How common is Leonetti?
Leonetti ranks #20,820 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 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 1,286 people with the surname Leonetti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,475), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 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 Leonetti.
Has Leonetti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leonetti went from 1,646 recorded bearers to 1,286. That is a decrease of 360 (-21.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,202 to #20,820.
What does the Census say about the background of Leonetti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leonetti, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Leonetti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (1,169 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leonetti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Leonetti (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 Leonetti mean?
An Italian surname derived from the diminutive form of the name Leone, meaning "little lion." 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 Leonetti (0.43 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 Leonetti?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.