2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Marsi
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "marshy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Marsi. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Marsi 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Marsi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Marsi, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Marsi
The surname MARSI is of Italian origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Marsi, an ancient territory located in the central Apennine mountains of the Abruzzo region. The name is likely derived from the Latin word "Marsus," referring to the people who inhabited this area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MARSI can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Cava de' Tirreni monastery in Campania, dating back to the 11th century. These documents mention individuals with the surname MARSI, indicating their presence in the region during this time period.
In the 13th century, the name MARSI appeared in the Liber Censuum, a papal register of taxes and revenues, suggesting that families with this surname held properties or estates at that time. Additionally, the surname was mentioned in various other historical records, such as notary acts and ecclesiastical documents from various Italian regions.
One notable individual with the surname MARSI was Galeazzo Marsi (1428-1496), an Italian humanist, philosopher, and writer from Bergamo. He was known for his literary works and contributions to the Renaissance movement. Another prominent figure was Vincenzo Marsi (1590-1658), an Italian cardinal and secretary of the Sacred Congregation of the Council.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MARSI surname was found in various regions of Italy, including Naples, Rome, and Tuscany. For instance, Francesco Marsi (1549-1621) was a notable lawyer and professor of law at the University of Naples, while Giambattista Marsi (1637-1694) was a Roman architect and engineer who worked on various projects in the city.
In the 18th century, the name MARSI continued to appear in historical records, particularly in the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. Domenico Marsi (1738-1818) was a prominent Italian historian and archaeologist from Rome, known for his writings on ancient Roman history and his extensive collection of manuscripts and artifacts.
Throughout its history, the surname MARSI has been associated with several notable individuals, including scholars, artists, and ecclesiastical figures, reflecting its longstanding presence and significance within Italian culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Marsi
Among Census respondents with the surname Marsi, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Marsi 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 Marsi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Marsi
Marsi 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-13 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,648 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 22,648 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 3,268 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 Marsi 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 | #154,907 | #151,639 | 2.1% |
| Count | 105 | 107 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Marsi bearers went from 105 to 107 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 3,268 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #151,639.
FAQ
Marsi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Marsi?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Marsi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Marsi?
Marsi ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Marsi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Marsi.
Has Marsi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Marsi went from 105 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Marsi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Marsi, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Marsi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Marsi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Marsi (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 Marsi mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "marshy." 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 Marsi (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 share the surname Marsi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.