2000
#14,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,850
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Lisi
A surname derived from the Italian city of Lisi, possibly indicating the place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,050 Americans carry the last name Lisi. That puts it at #15,726 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 167,197 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lisi 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
2.0K
1 in 167,197
Census rank
#15,726
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,788 bearers of the surname Lisi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15726th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lisi
The surname LISI is of Italian origin, originating from the region of Tuscany in central Italy. It is believed to have emerged sometime during the medieval period, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Italian word "liso," which means "smooth" or "flat," potentially referring to a physical characteristic or a geographical feature associated with the name's early bearers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LISI name can be found in a document from the city of Florence, dated around 1260. This document mentions a certain "Guido Lisi," who was a merchant and landowner in the area. Another notable early reference is found in a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Siena, which records a "Bartolomeo Lisi" as a prominent citizen and member of the local guild.
The LISI name also appears in several historical records from the Renaissance period, such as the writings of the renowned Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). In his famous work, "The Divine Comedy," Dante mentions a character named "Lisi" who is said to have been a member of the Florentine noble family of Cavalcanti.
Throughout the centuries, the LISI surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One prominent example is the Italian sculptor and architect Tommaso Lisi (1645-1722), who was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in Rome and Naples. Another notable figure is the 18th-century Italian painter Gian Antonio Lisi (1701-1784), whose works can be found in various museums and galleries across Italy.
In the 19th century, the LISI name gained further recognition with the birth of the Italian mathematician and engineer Galileo Lisi (1835-1909), who made significant contributions to the field of mechanics and the study of elasticity. Additionally, the Italian botanist and horticulturist Emilio Lisi (1858-1927) is remembered for his extensive research on plant species and his contributions to the development of modern horticulture.
The LISI surname has also been linked to various place names and geographical locations within Italy, such as the town of Lisi in the province of Treviso, Veneto, and the village of Lisi in the province of Pistoia, Tuscany. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lisi
Among Census respondents with the surname Lisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lisi 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 Lisi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 1,697
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 43
- Two or more races1.3% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lisi
Lisi 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
#15,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,910
+60 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 631 places
2020
#15,726
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,788
-122 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,724 | 1,850 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,355 | 1,910 | 0.65 | +60 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 631 places |
| 2020 | #15,726 | 1,788 | 0.60 | -122 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 371 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 Lisi 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 | #15,355 | #15,726 | -2.4% |
| Count | 1,910 | 1,788 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.60 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lisi bearers went from 1,910 to 1,788 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 371 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,355 to #15,726.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lisi
FAQ
Lisi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lisi?
Name Census estimates that about 2,050 living Americans carry the surname Lisi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 167,197 residents.
How common is Lisi?
Lisi ranks #15,726 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,788 people with the surname Lisi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,050), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Lisi.
Has Lisi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lisi went from 1,910 recorded bearers to 1,788. That is a decrease of 122 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,355 to #15,726.
What does the Census say about the background of Lisi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Lisi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (1,697 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lisi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Hispanic (2.4%), Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Lisi (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 Lisi mean?
A surname derived from the Italian city of Lisi, possibly indicating the place of origin. 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 Lisi (0.60 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 Lisi?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Lisi on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.