2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Magnetti
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "magnete" meaning magnet or magnetic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Magnetti. 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 Magnetti 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 Magnetti 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 Magnetti, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Magnetti
The surname Magnetti originated in Italy, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Italian word "magnetto," which means "magnet" or "lodestone." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who worked with magnets or had a connection to the mining or metalworking industries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Magnetti surname can be found in the Florentine tax records of 1260, where a certain Gherardo Magnetti is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region during that period.
In the 14th century, the Magnetti family gained prominence in the city of Siena, where they were involved in the local wool trade. Records from this time show that a branch of the family settled in the nearby town of Montalcino, where they acquired land and established themselves as a respected noble lineage.
During the Renaissance era, the Magnetti surname can be found in several historical documents, including the writings of the renowned Italian poet, Dante Alighieri. In his famous work, "The Divine Comedy," Dante mentions a character named Guido Magnetti, who is believed to have been a real person from the city of Reggio Emilia.
One notable figure bearing the Magnetti surname was Giovan Battista Magnetti, a 16th-century Italian architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several important buildings in the city of Bologna, including the Church of San Petronio and the Palazzo dei Banchi.
Another prominent Magnetti was Pietro Magnetti, a 17th-century Italian painter from the city of Piacenza. He was renowned for his religious artworks and frescoes, many of which can still be found in churches and palaces throughout northern Italy.
In the 18th century, the Magnetti family produced several notable scholars and scientists. One such figure was Giuseppe Magnetti, a mathematician and astronomer from Milan, who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
Throughout the 19th century, the Magnetti surname continued to be present in various regions of Italy, with several individuals achieving notable accomplishments. For example, Carlo Magnetti was a renowned Italian linguist and lexicographer who authored several influential dictionaries and grammar books.
While the Magnetti surname has its roots firmly planted in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to emigration and other factors. However, the Italian origins and historical significance of this name remain an integral part of its rich heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Magnetti
Among Census respondents with the surname Magnetti, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Magnetti 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 Magnetti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 9
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Magnetti
Magnetti 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+12 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,076 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-18 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,513 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +12 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 1,076 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 17,513 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 Magnetti 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 | #123,796 | #141,309 | -14.1% |
| Count | 139 | 121 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Magnetti bearers went from 139 to 121 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 17,513 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #141,309.
FAQ
Magnetti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Magnetti?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Magnetti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Magnetti?
Magnetti 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 Magnetti. 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 Magnetti.
Has Magnetti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Magnetti went from 139 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 18 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Magnetti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Magnetti, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Magnetti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Magnetti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Hispanic (7.4%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Magnetti (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 Magnetti mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "magnete" meaning magnet or magnetic. 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 Magnetti (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 common is the surname Magnetti?
If you just want to know how common the surname Magnetti is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.