2000
#10,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,844
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.05
Rare Last name
Molinari
An occupational surname referring to a miller or someone who operated a mill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,308 Americans carry the last name Molinari. That puts it at #10,598 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,614 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Molinari 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Molinari with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,614
Census rank
#10,598
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,885 bearers of the surname Molinari in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10598th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Molinari, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Molinari
The surname Molinari has its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of Lombardy and Piedmont. It is derived from the Italian word "molinaro," which means "miller" or someone who operates a mill. The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 13th century.
During the Middle Ages, the Molinari family was well-established in the city of Milan, where they were involved in the milling industry. Records from this period show that several members of the family held influential positions within the city's guilds and trade organizations.
One notable figure from this era was Giovanni Molinari, a prominent merchant and banker who lived in Milan in the late 14th century. His name appears in several historical documents related to trade agreements and financial transactions.
As the Molinari family grew and spread throughout northern Italy, variations in the spelling of the surname began to emerge. Some of these variations include Molinaro, Molinaroli, and Molinelli. In some cases, the name was also associated with specific locations, such as Molinari di Bergamo or Molinari di Torino.
During the Renaissance period, the Molinari family produced several notable figures, including the architect and sculptor Gian Giacomo Molinari, who was born in Genoa in 1570. His works can be found in various churches and palaces throughout northern Italy.
Another prominent individual was Giambattista Molinari, a Venetian philosopher and economist who lived from 1801 to 1888. He is considered one of the founders of the economic theory of anarcho-capitalism and was a strong advocate for free market principles.
In the 19th century, the Molinari name gained international recognition through the works of the Italian composer and pianist Giovanni Molinari (1805-1881). His compositions, which included operas, symphonies, and chamber music, were widely performed throughout Europe.
One of the most famous bearers of the Molinari surname was the Italian painter and sculptor Medardo Rosso (1858-1928), whose full name was Giovanni Battista Medardo Rosso Molinari. He was a pioneering figure in the Impressionist and Modernist movements and is renowned for his sculptural works in wax and plaster.
Throughout its long history, the Molinari surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and tradespeople. While its origins can be traced back to the milling industry of medieval Italy, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the diverse and far-reaching impact of Italian culture and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Molinari
Among Census respondents with the surname Molinari, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Molinari 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 Molinari surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 2,419
- Hispanic or Latino12.4% · 359
- Two or more races1.8% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 31
- Black or African American0.8% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Molinari
Molinari 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
#10,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,019
+175 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 223 places
2020
#10,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,885
-134 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,384 | 2,844 | 1.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,607 | 3,019 | 1.02 | +175 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 223 places |
| 2020 | #10,598 | 2,885 | 0.97 | -134 bearers (-4.4%) | Up 9 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 Molinari 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 | #10,607 | #10,598 | 0.1% |
| Count | 3,019 | 2,885 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.97 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Molinari bearers went from 3,019 to 2,885 (-4.4% change). The surname moved up 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,607 to #10,598.
FAQ
Molinari surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Molinari?
Name Census estimates that about 3,308 living Americans carry the surname Molinari. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,614 residents.
How common is Molinari?
Molinari ranks #10,598 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 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 2,885 people with the surname Molinari. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,308), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 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 Molinari.
Has Molinari become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Molinari went from 3,019 recorded bearers to 2,885. That is a decrease of 134 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,607 to #10,598.
What does the Census say about the background of Molinari?
Among Census respondents with the surname Molinari, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Molinari in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (2,419 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Molinari appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Hispanic (12.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Molinari (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 Molinari mean?
An occupational surname referring to a miller or someone who operated a mill. 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 Molinari (0.97 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 Molinari?
You can see how many people are called Molinari on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.