2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Racaniello
An Italian surname potentially deriving from the Latin word "racanus" referring to someone with a hoarse voice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 182 Americans carry the last name Racaniello. That puts it at #116,252 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,883,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Racaniello 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
182
1 in 1,883,266
Census rank
#116,252
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
159
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 159 bearers of the surname Racaniello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 116252nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Racaniello, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Racaniello
The surname Racaniello has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name Racaniello is thought to derive from the Italian word "racano," which is a regional term referring to a type of coarse cloth or fabric. It is likely that the surname was initially given to individuals who were involved in the production or trade of this particular textile material.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Racaniello can be found in the archives of the city of Naples, dating back to the 15th century. A document from 1472 mentions a certain "Giovanni Racaniello," a merchant who dealt in the trade of fabrics and textiles.
In the following centuries, the Racaniello surname appeared in various historical records and documents from the regions of Campania and Calabria. For example, in the 16th century, there are references to a "Tomaso Racaniello," a landowner from the town of Avellino, in the province of Campania.
Another notable figure bearing the Racaniello surname was Gennaro Racaniello, a philosopher and scholar who lived in the 17th century (1628-1694). He was born in the town of Sorrento, near Naples, and is known for his writings on moral philosophy and ethics.
During the 18th century, the Racaniello surname was also found in the nearby region of Calabria. Records show a "Lorenzo Racaniello," a prominent figure in the city of Cosenza, who was involved in local politics and trade during the 1700s.
In the 19th century, the Racaniello surname continued to be present in various parts of southern Italy. One notable individual was Giuseppe Racaniello (1810-1876), a poet and writer from the town of Amalfi, in the province of Salerno.
Throughout its history, the Racaniello surname has maintained its connection to the textile industry and trade, as well as other professions related to commerce and intellectual pursuits. While the name has its roots in specific regions of southern Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the country and beyond, carried by individuals and families who migrated over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Racaniello
Among Census respondents with the surname Racaniello, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Racaniello 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 Racaniello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.4% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino11.9% · 19
- Two or more races5.0% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Racaniello
Racaniello 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
#111,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
+12 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 377 places
2020
#116,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
+2 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,264 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #111,988 | 157 | 0.05 | +12 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 377 places |
| 2020 | #116,252 | 159 | 0.05 | +2 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 4,264 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 Racaniello 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 | #111,988 | #116,252 | -3.8% |
| Count | 157 | 159 | 1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Racaniello bearers went from 157 to 159 (+1.3% change). The surname moved down 4,264 positions in the national ranking, going from #111,988 to #116,252.
FAQ
Racaniello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Racaniello?
Name Census estimates that about 182 living Americans carry the surname Racaniello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,883,266 residents.
How common is Racaniello?
Racaniello ranks #116,252 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 159 people with the surname Racaniello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Racaniello.
Has Racaniello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Racaniello went from 157 recorded bearers to 159. That is an increase of 2 (+1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #111,988 to #116,252.
What does the Census say about the background of Racaniello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Racaniello, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Racaniello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (131 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Racaniello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.4%), Hispanic (11.9%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Racaniello (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 Racaniello mean?
An Italian surname potentially deriving from the Latin word "racanus" referring to someone with a hoarse voice. 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 Racaniello (0.05 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 Americans have the surname Racaniello?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.