2000
#10,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,848
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Monti
Italian occupational surname referring to someone who lived on or near a mountain or hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,041 Americans carry the last name Monti. That puts it at #11,368 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,711 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Monti 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 Monti with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,711
Census rank
#11,368
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,652 bearers of the surname Monti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11368th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Monti, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Monti
The surname Monti originates from Italy, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "monte," meaning "mountain" or "hill." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who lived in or near mountainous regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Monti name can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. The name appeared in various forms, such as "de Monte" and "da Monte," indicating its association with specific locations.
During the Renaissance period, the Monti family gained prominence in several Italian cities, particularly in Florence and Rome. Notable individuals from this era include Raffaello Monti (1425-1508), a renowned painter and architect who contributed to the design of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence.
In the 16th century, Giovanni Battista Monti (1534-1592) was a celebrated Italian mathematician and astronomer. He served as a professor at the University of Bologna and made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
The Monti surname also has connections to literary figures. Vincenzo Monti (1754-1828) was an acclaimed Italian poet and playwright, known for his neoclassical works such as "Bassvilliana" and "Prometeo." His poetry celebrated Italian patriotism and inspired the Risorgimento movement for Italian unification.
Another prominent individual bearing the Monti surname was Gian Pietro Monti (1636-1721), an Italian architect and sculptor. He was responsible for the design and construction of several baroque churches and palaces in Milan, including the Church of Santa Maria della Passione.
Throughout history, the Monti name has also been associated with various place names and locations across Italy. Examples include Monti Lepini, a mountain range in the Lazio region, and Monti Sibillini, a mountain group in the Apennine range straddling the regions of Umbria and Marche.
While the Monti surname originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, it remains deeply rooted in Italian history and culture, with a rich legacy spanning centuries across various fields, including art, literature, science, and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Monti
Among Census respondents with the surname Monti, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Monti 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 Monti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 2,318
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 213
- Two or more races2.3% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 31
- Black or African American0.9% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Monti
Monti 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
#11,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,845
-3 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 772 places
2020
#11,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,652
-193 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 233 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,363 | 2,848 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,135 | 2,845 | 0.96 | -3 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 772 places |
| 2020 | #11,368 | 2,652 | 0.89 | -193 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 233 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 Monti 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 | #11,135 | #11,368 | -2.1% |
| Count | 2,845 | 2,652 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.89 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Monti bearers went from 2,845 to 2,652 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 233 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,135 to #11,368.
FAQ
Monti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Monti?
Name Census estimates that about 3,041 living Americans carry the surname Monti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,711 residents.
How common is Monti?
Monti ranks #11,368 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,652 people with the surname Monti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,041), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Monti.
Has Monti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Monti went from 2,845 recorded bearers to 2,652. That is a decrease of 193 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,135 to #11,368.
What does the Census say about the background of Monti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Monti, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Monti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (2,318 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Monti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (8.0%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Monti (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 Monti mean?
Italian occupational surname referring to someone who lived on or near a mountain or hill. 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 Monti (0.89 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 are called Monti?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Monti on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.