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

Passarelli, 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 Passarelli surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Passarelli in America

Passarelli is the 15020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Passarelli surname appeared 1,966 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Passarelli.

We can also compare 2010 data for Passarelli 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 Passarelli

The surname Passarelli is of Italian origin, derived from the word "passero," which means "sparrow" in Italian. It likely originated in the medieval period as a nickname for someone who resembled or had characteristics associated with a sparrow.

The name Passarelli can be traced back to the region of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, particularly in the areas around Bologna and Modena. It is believed to have emerged as a surname in these areas during the 13th or 14th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Passarelli is found in a document from the city of Bologna dated 1327, which mentions a certain Guglielmo Passarelli. This document suggests that the name was already in use as a hereditary surname by the early 14th century.

In the 15th century, the Passarelli family gained prominence in the city of Modena, where several members held important positions within the local government and religious institutions. One notable figure was Gian Andrea Passarelli (1462-1526), a renowned jurist and professor of law at the University of Modena.

During the Renaissance period, the Passarelli name also appeared in various literary works and historical records. For instance, the Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533) mentioned a character named Passarello in his famous epic poem "Orlando Furioso."

Another prominent individual with the surname Passarelli was Bartolomeo Passarelli (1580-1653), a Jesuit priest and theologian from Bologna. He was known for his numerous publications on theological subjects and served as a professor at the Jesuit College in Rome.

In the 18th century, the Passarelli family had several members who achieved distinction in the arts. Giacomo Passarelli (1718-1784) was a highly regarded painter from Bologna, known for his religious and mythological works. His son, Tommaso Passarelli (1756-1829), also became a respected painter and worked in various cities across Italy.

Over the centuries, the Passarelli surname has spread to other regions of Italy and beyond, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including literature, art, law, and academia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Passarelli

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

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 Passarelli 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 Passarelli 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 Passarelli was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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