2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ricciardella
An Italian surname derived from the medieval personal name "Ricciardo", meaning bold or brave ruler.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Ricciardella. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ricciardella 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Ricciardella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ricciardella, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ricciardella
The surname Ricciardella originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Calabria, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian personal name Ricciardo, which in turn comes from the Germanic name Riccardo, meaning "powerful" and "brave." This name was introduced to Italy by the Normans, who conquered parts of southern Italy in the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ricciardella surname can be found in a document from the town of Salerno, dated 1265. This document mentions a certain Guglielmo Ricciardella, who was a landowner in the region. Another notable early record is from the city of Reggio Calabria in 1307, where a Matteo Ricciardella is listed as a merchant.
The surname Ricciardella has been present in various historical documents and records over the centuries. For instance, in the 15th century, a Giovanni Ricciardella is mentioned as a renowned architect who worked on several projects in Naples. In the 16th century, a Girolamo Ricciardella was a prominent lawyer and judge in the court of the Kingdom of Naples.
One of the earliest known persons with the surname Ricciardella was Filippo Ricciardella (born around 1230 in Salerno), who was a renowned philosopher and theologian. He studied at the University of Naples and later became a professor there, teaching subjects such as logic and metaphysics.
Another notable individual with this surname was Antonio Ricciardella (1490-1562), who was a skilled painter and sculptor from Calabria. His works can be found in various churches and museums in southern Italy, particularly in the cities of Reggio Calabria and Cosenza.
In the 18th century, there was a Vincenzo Ricciardella (1716-1789), who was a prominent architect from Naples. He designed several churches and palaces in the city, including the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Palazzo Ricciardella.
During the 19th century, a Giuseppe Ricciardella (1820-1898) was a renowned lawyer and politician from Campania. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was involved in the unification of Italy under the Kingdom of Sardinia.
The Ricciardella surname has also been associated with several place names in Italy, such as the town of Ricciardella in the province of Reggio Calabria, and the Ricciardella quarter in the city of Naples. These place names suggest that the surname has been present in these regions for a significant period of time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ricciardella
Among Census respondents with the surname Ricciardella, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ricciardella 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 Ricciardella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ricciardella
Ricciardella 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+22 bearers (+19.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,819 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-16 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,031 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +22 bearers (+19.3%) | Up 9,819 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 16,031 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 Ricciardella 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 | #126,018 | #142,049 | -12.7% |
| Count | 136 | 120 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ricciardella bearers went from 136 to 120 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 16,031 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #142,049.
FAQ
Ricciardella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ricciardella?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Ricciardella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Ricciardella?
Ricciardella ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Ricciardella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ricciardella.
Has Ricciardella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ricciardella went from 136 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Ricciardella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ricciardella, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Ricciardella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ricciardella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (4.2%), Black (1.7%). 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 Ricciardella (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 Ricciardella mean?
An Italian surname derived from the medieval personal name "Ricciardo", meaning bold or brave ruler. 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 Ricciardella (0.04 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 common is the surname Ricciardella?
See how many people have the surname Ricciardella on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.