2000
#10,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,852
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Nicoletti
An Italian occupational surname referring to a gatherer or seller of nuts, derived from the Italian word "nocciola".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,869 Americans carry the last name Nicoletti. That puts it at #11,946 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 119,468 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nicoletti 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 Nicoletti with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 119,468
Census rank
#11,946
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,502 bearers of the surname Nicoletti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11946th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicoletti, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nicoletti
The surname Nicoletti originates from Italy, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the given name Nicola, which is the Italian form of Nicholas. The name Nicholas itself has Greek origins, stemming from the words "nikos" meaning "victory" and "laos" meaning "people."
Nicoletti is believed to have first emerged in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, where it was initially spelled as Nicoletti or Niccoletti. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval documents from these areas, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Nicoletti name was Guido Nicoletti, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in Florence during the late 13th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the city's wool trade and held significant influence within the local guilds.
In the 15th century, a branch of the Nicoletti family settled in the town of Pistoia, located in the Tuscan region. Here, they became known as skilled artisans and craftsmen, particularly in the fields of metalwork and jewelry making. One notable figure from this era was Giulio Nicoletti, a renowned goldsmith who created intricate pieces for the nobility and wealthy patrons.
As the Nicoletti surname spread across Italy, it gained recognition in various fields. In the 16th century, a scholar named Cesare Nicoletti made significant contributions to the study of classical literature and philosophy. His works were widely circulated among the intellectual circles of the time.
During the 17th century, the Nicoletti family established a presence in the city of Naples, where they were involved in the legal profession. One prominent member was Girolamo Nicoletti, a respected lawyer and judge who served in the Neapolitan court system.
In more recent times, the Nicoletti surname has been associated with notable individuals in various fields. For example, Giambattista Nicoletti (1829-1905) was an Italian painter known for his landscape and genre works, while Piero Nicoletti (1914-1992) was a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Rome and other Italian cities.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and diverse backgrounds associated with the Nicoletti surname. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Italy, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of individuals who have contributed to various aspects of society and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nicoletti
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicoletti, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nicoletti 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 Nicoletti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,286
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 142
- Two or more races2.1% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 11
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nicoletti
Nicoletti 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
#10,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,981
+129 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 373 places
2020
#11,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,502
-479 bearers (-16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 1,229 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,344 | 2,852 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,717 | 2,981 | 1.01 | +129 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 373 places |
| 2020 | #11,946 | 2,502 | 0.84 | -479 bearers (-16.1%) | Down 1,229 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 Nicoletti 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 | #10,717 | #11,946 | -11.5% |
| Count | 2,981 | 2,502 | -16.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.84 | -17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nicoletti bearers went from 2,981 to 2,502 (-16.1% change). The surname moved down 1,229 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,717 to #11,946.
FAQ
Nicoletti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nicoletti?
Name Census estimates that about 2,869 living Americans carry the surname Nicoletti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 119,468 residents.
How common is Nicoletti?
Nicoletti ranks #11,946 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 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 2,502 people with the surname Nicoletti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,869), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 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 Nicoletti.
Has Nicoletti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nicoletti went from 2,981 recorded bearers to 2,502. That is a decrease of 479 (-16.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,717 to #11,946.
What does the Census say about the background of Nicoletti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicoletti, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Nicoletti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,286 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nicoletti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (5.7%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Nicoletti (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 Nicoletti mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a gatherer or seller of nuts, derived from the Italian word "nocciola". 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 Nicoletti (0.84 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 Nicoletti?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Nicoletti on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.