Find out how popular the last name Rizza is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rizza.

Rizza, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rizza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rizza in America

Rizza is the 25701st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rizza surname appeared 959 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Rizza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rizza to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rizza

The surname Rizza is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the Lombardy and Veneto areas. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Rizza can be found in the historical documents of the city of Brescia, dating back to the 14th century. This suggests that the name may have originated in or around this region, which was then part of the Venetian Republic.

Linguistically, the name Rizza is thought to be a diminutive or nickname form derived from the Italian personal name Rizzardo or Riccardo, which in turn originated from the Germanic name Richard. This name was quite common in medieval Italy due to the influence of Germanic rulers and settlers.

In the 15th century, there are records of a prominent Rizza family in the city of Verona. One notable member was Giovanni Battista Rizza, a renowned painter and architect who lived from 1492 to 1548. His works can still be admired in various churches and buildings across northern Italy.

Another historical figure bearing the surname Rizza was Francesco Rizza, a 17th-century Italian composer and organist from Mantua. He is best known for his sacred works and compositions for the organ, which were highly regarded during his time.

In the 18th century, the Rizza name gained further recognition with Antonio Rizza, a celebrated sculptor from the Venetian Republic. Born in 1725 in Padua, his most notable works include the monumental statues adorning the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua and the Palazzo Ducale in Venice.

Moving into the 19th century, there was a notable Rizza family in the city of Milan. One of its members, Carlo Rizza, was a prominent lawyer and politician who played a significant role in the Italian unification movement during the Risorgimento era.

The surname Rizza can also be traced back to the town of Rizza, located in the province of Palermo, Sicily. While not directly related to the northern Italian origins of the name, this place name may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rizza

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rizza.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rizza was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rizza has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rizza was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rizza, please contact us.

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