2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Montelli
An Italian surname derived from the Latin "Montellus", meaning "someone from the little mountain".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Montelli. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Montelli 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Montelli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Montelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Montelli
The surname Montelli originated in Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "monte," meaning "hill" or "mountain," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived in hilly or mountainous regions.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Montelli can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of historical documents from the Lombard Kingdom in present-day northern Italy, dated around the 8th century. This indicates that the name was already in use during the early Middle Ages.
In the 12th century, records show a Petrus Montelli residing in the town of Gubbio, located in the Umbria region of central Italy. This suggests that the name had spread to various parts of the Italian peninsula by that time.
During the Renaissance period, the Montelli family gained prominence in the city of Florence. Notable individuals from this era include the architect and sculptor Baccio Montelli (1486-1567), known for his contributions to the construction of the Medici Chapel and other notable buildings in Florence.
In the 16th century, the name Montelli is also found in the records of the Republic of Venice, particularly in the northern Italian region of Veneto. One notable figure was the Venetian diplomat and writer Andrea Montelli (1520-1591), who served as an ambassador to various European courts.
As the centuries passed, the Montelli name continued to spread across Italy and beyond. In the 18th century, there were records of a Montelli family residing in the island of Corsica, which was then under the rule of the Republic of Genoa.
Another notable individual bearing the Montelli surname was the Italian poet and playwright Giuseppe Montelli (1788-1856), who was born in the town of Rimini and gained recognition for his works in the Romantic literary movement.
In the 19th century, the Montelli name appeared in various parts of the Italian peninsula, including the regions of Tuscany, Lazio, and Campania. One example is the Italian politician and statesman Giuseppe Montelli (1825-1898), who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies and played a role in the unification of Italy.
As Italians immigrated to other parts of the world, the Montelli surname spread further. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, individuals with this name can be found in records of Italian communities in countries such as the United States, Argentina, and Brazil.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Montelli
Among Census respondents with the surname Montelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Montelli 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 Montelli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 7
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Montelli
Montelli 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+10 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 991 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-12 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,429 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 991 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 8,429 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 Montelli 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 | #147,253 | #155,682 | -5.7% |
| Count | 112 | 100 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Montelli bearers went from 112 to 100 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 8,429 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #155,682.
FAQ
Montelli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Montelli?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Montelli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Montelli?
Montelli ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Montelli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Montelli.
Has Montelli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Montelli went from 112 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Montelli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Montelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Montelli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Montelli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Montelli (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 Montelli mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin "Montellus", meaning "someone from the little mountain". 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 Montelli (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Montelli?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.