2000
#79,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 222
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Ranelli
A surname of Italian origin meaning "little frogs."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 250 Americans carry the last name Ranelli. That puts it at #90,848 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,371,017 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ranelli 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
250
1 in 1,371,017
Census rank
#90,848
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
218
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 218 bearers of the surname Ranelli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 90848th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ranelli
The surname Ranelli is of Italian origin, originating from the region of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. The name is believed to have derived from the Latin word "rana," meaning "frog," which suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near a pond or marshy area where frogs were commonly found.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ranelli surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the town of Bologna, where a family with this name was mentioned in historical records. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled as "Ranelli" or "Ranelli," reflecting the variations in spelling common at the time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure with the Ranelli surname was Giovanni Ranelli, a prominent merchant and banker who lived in Florence. His successful business ventures and influential role in the city's economic affairs earned him a respected reputation among the Florentine elite.
The Ranelli name also appeared in various Renaissance-era documents and manuscripts, such as the records of the Medici family, who were prominent patrons of the arts in Florence during the 15th and 16th centuries. It is possible that some members of the Ranelli family were involved in the artistic or cultural circles of the time.
In the 18th century, a famous Italian playwright and poet named Carlo Ranelli (1715-1795) gained recognition for his works, which included several comedies and tragedies. His plays were performed in theaters throughout Italy and helped to establish his literary reputation.
Another notable figure with the Ranelli surname was Ferdinando Ranelli (1810-1876), an Italian painter and sculptor who was renowned for his religious and historical works. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice and later became a professor at the same institution, influencing generations of aspiring artists.
Over the centuries, the Ranelli name has been associated with various locations in Italy, including Bologna, Florence, and Venice, reflecting the geographic spread of families bearing this surname. While the name may have originated from a specific region, it has since become more widely distributed across the country and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ranelli
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ranelli 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 Ranelli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 205
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 6
- Black or African American2.3% · 5
- Two or more races0.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ranelli
Ranelli 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
#86,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 216
-6 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 6,638 places
2020
#90,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 218
+2 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 4,534 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #79,676 | 222 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #86,314 | 216 | 0.07 | -6 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 6,638 places |
| 2020 | #90,848 | 218 | 0.07 | +2 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 4,534 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 Ranelli 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 | #86,314 | #90,848 | -5.3% |
| Count | 216 | 218 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ranelli bearers went from 216 to 218 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 4,534 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,314 to #90,848.
FAQ
Ranelli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ranelli?
Name Census estimates that about 250 living Americans carry the surname Ranelli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,371,017 residents.
How common is Ranelli?
Ranelli ranks #90,848 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 218 people with the surname Ranelli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (250), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Ranelli.
Has Ranelli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ranelli went from 216 recorded bearers to 218. That is an increase of 2 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #86,314 to #90,848.
What does the Census say about the background of Ranelli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ranelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Black (2.3%). 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 Ranelli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (205 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ranelli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (2.8%), Black (2.3%). 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 Ranelli (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 Ranelli mean?
A surname of Italian origin meaning "little frogs." 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 Ranelli (0.07 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 Ranelli?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Ranelli is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.