2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Passetti
An Italian surname derived from the regional word "passetto" meaning a small pathway or passage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 110 Americans carry the last name Passetti. That puts it at #156,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,115,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Passetti 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
110
1 in 3,115,949
Census rank
#156,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 96 bearers of the surname Passetti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Passetti, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Passetti
The surname Passetti has its origins in Italy, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "passo," meaning "step" or "pass." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a mountain pass or worked as a guide or toll collector in such areas.
One of the earliest known references to the Passetti name can be found in a document from the city of Perugia, dated 1287. This document mentions a certain "Nicola Passetti," indicating that the name was already in use at that time in the region of Umbria.
In the 14th century, the name began to appear in other parts of central Italy, such as Tuscany and Lazio. Notable individuals from this period include Francesco Passetti (1328-1402), a merchant from Florence, and Giulia Passetti (1352-1428), a nun and writer from Rome.
As the centuries passed, the Passetti family spread across various regions of Italy, with some members achieving prominence in various fields. One such individual was Giovanni Battista Passetti (1592-1670), a renowned architect from Bologna who designed several churches and palaces in his hometown.
Another notable Passetti was Vincenzo Passetti (1698-1772), a painter from Rome whose works can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy. His most famous work is the fresco adorning the ceiling of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.
In the 19th century, the Passetti name gained international recognition through the exploits of Alessandro Passetti (1815-1879), an Italian explorer who led several expeditions to Africa and Asia. He is credited with mapping vast unexplored territories and establishing trade routes with remote regions.
While the Passetti surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration. However, its historical significance remains deeply tied to its Italian heritage and the various individuals who have carried this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Passetti
Among Census respondents with the surname Passetti, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Passetti 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 Passetti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino9.4% · 9
- Two or more races5.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Passetti
Passetti 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,564 places
2020
#156,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96
-15 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,193 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,564 places |
| 2020 | #156,540 | 96 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 8,193 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 Passetti 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 | #148,347 | #156,540 | -5.5% |
| Count | 111 | 96 | -13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Passetti bearers went from 111 to 96 (-13.5% change). The surname moved down 8,193 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #156,540.
FAQ
Passetti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Passetti?
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the surname Passetti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,115,949 residents.
How common is Passetti?
Passetti ranks #156,540 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 96 people with the surname Passetti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (110), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Passetti.
Has Passetti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Passetti went from 111 recorded bearers to 96. That is a decrease of 15 (-13.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #156,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Passetti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Passetti, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.4%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Passetti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Passetti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Hispanic (9.4%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Passetti (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 Passetti mean?
An Italian surname derived from the regional word "passetto" meaning a small pathway or passage. 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 Passetti (0.03 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 Passetti?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Passetti is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.