2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Menichini
An Italian surname derived from the word menichino, meaning "little monk".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Menichini. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Menichini 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Menichini in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Menichini, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Menichini
The surname Menichini originates from Italy and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "menico," which means "small" or "little." This name may have initially been used as a nickname for someone of small stature or as a term of endearment.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Menichini can be found in various Italian documents from the late 1500s and early 1600s, particularly in regions such as Lazio, Umbria, and Marche. It is possible that the name was initially associated with specific towns or villages in these areas, but the exact origins are unclear.
One notable historical reference to the name Menichini can be found in the records of the Papal States during the 17th century. A certain Giulio Menichini, born around 1620, was mentioned as a respected scholar and intellectual who served as a advisor to Pope Innocent X.
In the 18th century, the name Menichini appeared in various Italian literary works, including poems and plays. One such example is the play "La Locandiera" by Carlo Goldoni, which featured a character named Fabrizio Menichini, a wealthy merchant from Venice.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Menichini throughout history are:
1. Pietro Menichini (1765-1842), an Italian painter known for his religious and historical works, particularly his frescoes in churches across Italy.
2. Gaetano Menichini (1805-1879), an Italian composer and music teacher, who wrote several operas and sacred works during the Romantic period.
3. Amalia Menichini (1867-1935), an Italian writer and journalist, known for her contributions to the women's rights movement and her advocacy for educational reform.
4. Ezio Menichini (1906-1984), an Italian film director and screenwriter, who worked extensively in the neorealist cinema movement of the 1940s and 1950s.
5. Giancarlo Menichini (1939-2021), an Italian football player and manager, who played as a midfielder for several clubs, including Roma and Lazio, and later served as a coach for various teams in Italy and abroad.
While the surname Menichini may have originated from a humble nickname, it has since been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including art, music, literature, film, and sports, throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Menichini
Among Census respondents with the surname Menichini, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Menichini 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 Menichini surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Menichini
Menichini 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+4 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,938 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-19 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 4,938 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 18,174 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 Menichini 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 | #129,047 | #147,221 | -14.1% |
| Count | 132 | 113 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Menichini bearers went from 132 to 113 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 18,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #147,221.
FAQ
Menichini surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Menichini?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Menichini. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Menichini?
Menichini ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Menichini. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Menichini.
Has Menichini become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Menichini went from 132 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Menichini?
Among Census respondents with the surname Menichini, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Menichini in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Menichini appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Menichini (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 Menichini mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word menichino, meaning "little monk". 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 Menichini (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 surname Menichini?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.