2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lestingi
A locational Italian surname tracing ancestral roots to "Lestingio" near Rome.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Lestingi. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lestingi 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Lestingi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lestingi, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lestingi
The surname LESTINGI is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Latin word "lestinga," which referred to a type of fishing net or trap. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as an occupational surname to someone who worked as a fisherman or in a related trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LESTINGI name can be found in a document from the city of Venice, dated around 1275. This document mentions a certain "Giovanni Lestingi," who was a merchant involved in the trade of salted fish and other seafood products.
In the 14th century, the LESTINGI name appears to have spread to other parts of Italy, particularly the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. One notable figure from this time was Benedetto Lestingi (1310-1382), a renowned scholar and philosopher who taught at the University of Bologna.
During the Renaissance period, the LESTINGI family gained prominence in the city of Florence. One of the most notable members was Lucrezia Lestingi (1475-1543), a successful businesswoman and patron of the arts who commissioned several works from the famous painter Sandro Botticelli.
In the 16th century, a branch of the LESTINGI family migrated to the island of Sicily, where they established themselves as landowners and wine merchants. One of the most prominent figures from this line was Vincenzo Lestingi (1542-1612), who served as the mayor of Palermo and played a significant role in the city's governance.
Another notable individual with the LESTINGI surname was Girolamo Lestingi (1630-1698), a Baroque painter and architect from Naples. He was renowned for his fresco work and contributed to the decoration of several churches and palaces in the city.
While the LESTINGI name has its roots in Italy, over the centuries it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, the name remains relatively uncommon outside of its country of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lestingi
Among Census respondents with the surname Lestingi, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lestingi 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 Lestingi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino12.4% · 15
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lestingi
Lestingi 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+10 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 66 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-6 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,261 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 66 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 8,261 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 Lestingi 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 | #133,048 | #141,309 | -6.2% |
| Count | 127 | 121 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lestingi bearers went from 127 to 121 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 8,261 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #141,309.
FAQ
Lestingi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lestingi?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Lestingi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Lestingi?
Lestingi ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Lestingi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Lestingi.
Has Lestingi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lestingi went from 127 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Lestingi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lestingi, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Lestingi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lestingi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (12.4%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Lestingi (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 Lestingi mean?
A locational Italian surname tracing ancestral roots to "Lestingio" near Rome. 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 Lestingi (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 last name Lestingi?
Want to know how common the surname Lestingi is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.