2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nigri
An Italian surname meaning "black" or "dark-skinned."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Nigri. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nigri 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Nigri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nigri, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nigri
The surname "NIGRI" is of Italian origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "niger," meaning "black," and was likely originally a nickname or descriptive name given to someone with dark hair or complexion.
The earliest known instances of the name can be found in various Italian documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, particularly in regions such as Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardy. Historical records suggest that the name was prominent among families in cities like Florence, Bologna, and Milan during this time.
In the 14th century, the name NIGRI appeared in the Florentine Catasto of 1427, a census record of the citizens of Florence. One notable individual from this period was Bartolomeo NIGRI, a Florentine merchant and banker who lived from around 1380 to 1450.
During the Renaissance era, the name NIGRI was associated with several prominent figures in the arts and sciences. Pietro NIGRI (1472-1554) was a renowned Italian mathematician and astronomer from Venice, known for his contributions to the study of trigonometry and his work on the reform of the Julian calendar.
Another notable bearer of the name was Gerolamo NIGRI (1522-1591), an Italian philosopher and theologian from Milan. He was a prominent figure in the Catholic Reformation and served as a counselor to Pope Pius V.
In the 18th century, the NIGRI surname was found among families in various parts of Italy, including the regions of Piedmont and Veneto. One example is Giovanni Battista NIGRI (1724-1801), an Italian architect and engineer from Turin, who was known for his work on several notable buildings and infrastructure projects in the city.
Another significant figure was Giuseppe NIGRI (1728-1806), an Italian composer and violinist from Venice. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of the Venetian school of violin playing and his compositions for the instrument.
Throughout history, the NIGRI surname has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, bankers, scholars, artists, and professionals in various fields. While it originated as a descriptive name, it has since become a well-established Italian surname with a rich historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nigri
Among Census respondents with the surname Nigri, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Nigri 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 Nigri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nigri
Nigri appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,529 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 Nigri 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 | #139,228 | #145,757 | -4.7% |
| Count | 120 | 115 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nigri bearers went from 120 to 115 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #145,757.
FAQ
Nigri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nigri?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Nigri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Nigri?
Nigri ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Nigri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Nigri.
Has Nigri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nigri went from 120 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Nigri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nigri, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Nigri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nigri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Nigri (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 Nigri mean?
An Italian surname meaning "black" or "dark-skinned." 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 Nigri (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 are called Nigri?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Nigri on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.