2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Provini
A surname of Italian origin derived from the word "provino" meaning a test or a trial.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Provini. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Provini 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Provini in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Provini, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Provini
The surname Provini has its origins in Italy, where it can be traced back to the late medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Italian word "provincia," which means "province" or "region." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have hailed from a particular province or region within Italy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 14th century, when a certain Giovanni Provini was mentioned in a historical document from the city of Siena. This document, dated 1375, provides evidence that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various records from the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. An individual named Antonio Provini, born in 1432 in the city of Verona, is documented as having been a prominent merchant and trader of textiles.
During the Renaissance period, the Provini family gained prominence in the city of Florence, where they were involved in the arts and politics. One notable figure from this era was Matteo Provini (1495-1562), a renowned painter who was commissioned to create works for several churches and palaces in the region.
In the 17th century, the name can be traced to the island of Sicily, where a branch of the Provini family settled. One of the most famous individuals bearing this surname was Giacomo Provini (1610-1682), a Sicilian philosopher and writer who authored several influential works on ethics and metaphysics.
Another notable figure was Alessandro Provini (1785-1859), a military officer and statesman from the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. He played a crucial role in the Italian unification movement and served as a general in the Sardinian army during the Risorgimento.
Throughout history, the surname Provini has been associated with various places and regions within Italy, reflecting the family's diverse origins and migrations. While the name has undergone some minor spelling variations over time, such as Provino or Provinis, its core meaning and connection to the concept of "province" or "region" have remained intact.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Provini
Among Census respondents with the surname Provini, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Provini 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 Provini surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Provini
Provini 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
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-10 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,553 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 5,553 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 Provini 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 | #150,452 | #156,005 | -3.7% |
| Count | 109 | 99 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Provini bearers went from 109 to 99 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 5,553 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #156,005.
FAQ
Provini surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Provini?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Provini. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Provini?
Provini ranks #156,005 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 99 people with the surname Provini. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), 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 Provini.
Has Provini become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Provini went from 109 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 10 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Provini?
Among Census respondents with the surname Provini, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Provini in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Provini appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Provini (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 Provini mean?
A surname of Italian origin derived from the word "provino" meaning a test or a trial. 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 Provini (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 have the last name Provini?
If you just want to know how common the surname Provini is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.