Find out how popular the last name Nizzi is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Nizzi.

Nizzi, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Nizzi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nizzi in America

Nizzi is the 95115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nizzi surname appeared 192 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nizzi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nizzi to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Nizzi

The surname Nizzi is of Italian origin, specifically from the southern region of Puglia. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "nizzo," which means "small" or "little." This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone of short stature or as a term of endearment.

The earliest known record of the Nizzi surname dates back to the 14th century in the town of Lecce, located in the Apulia region of southern Italy. The name appeared in various medieval documents and records, including property deeds and church records.

In the 15th century, a notable bearer of the Nizzi surname was Giovanni Nizzi, a prominent merchant and trader from the city of Bari. He was known for his successful trading ventures with various Mediterranean countries and contributed significantly to the local economy.

During the Renaissance period, the Nizzi family gained prominence in the arts and literature. One of the most notable figures was Francesco Nizzi, a renowned poet and playwright born in Lecce in 1520. His works, such as "La Pastorella" and "Il Cacciatore," were widely celebrated and performed throughout Italy.

In the 18th century, the Nizzi surname spread to other parts of Italy, including the northern regions. Antonio Nizzi, born in 1745 in Milan, was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Palazzo Greppi and the Church of San Giuseppe.

Another important figure was Giuseppe Nizzi, a 19th-century Italian patriot and revolutionary born in Naples in 1812. He played a significant role in the Italian unification movement and fought alongside Giuseppe Garibaldi in the struggle for Italian independence.

Throughout history, the Nizzi surname has also been associated with several place names in southern Italy. For example, the town of Nizza Monferrato in the Piedmont region is believed to have derived its name from the Nizzi family, who were once prominent landowners in the area.

While the Nizzi surname is not as common as some other Italian surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, including literature, architecture, and political movements, throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nizzi

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Nizzi.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Nizzi was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Nizzi has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Nizzi was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Nizzi, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!