2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rossilli
An Italian surname derived from the place name Rosselle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Rossilli. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rossilli 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Rossilli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rossilli, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rossilli
The surname Rossilli is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the regions of Sicily and Calabria in southern Italy. The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages, perhaps as early as the 11th or 12th century.
One possible derivation of the name Rossilli is from the Italian word "rosso," meaning "red." It is believed that the surname may have been initially assigned to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion. Alternatively, it could have referred to someone who lived near a red-colored landmark, such as a building or a geological feature.
Another theory suggests that Rossilli may be a variation of the Italian surname Roselli, which itself is derived from the Latin word "rosellus," meaning "little rose." This could indicate that the name was originally given to someone associated with the cultivation or trade of roses.
While no definitive historical records have been found mentioning the surname Rossilli in ancient manuscripts or chronicles, there are several notable individuals who bore this name throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rossilli is that of Giovanni Rossilli, a Sicilian artist and sculptor who lived in the late 15th century. His works can still be found adorning churches and public buildings in Palermo and Catania.
In the 16th century, Antonio Rossilli (1495-1572) was a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Calabria. He served as a judge in the courts of Naples and authored several influential treatises on civil and canon law.
During the 17th century, Giacomo Rossilli (1620-1687) was a prominent Italian architect who designed several churches and palaces in Rome and the surrounding regions. His masterpiece is considered to be the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena in Rome, completed in 1681.
In the 18th century, Maria Rossilli (1732-1805) was a celebrated opera singer from Naples. She performed in various theaters across Europe and was particularly renowned for her roles in the operas of Gluck and Handel.
Moving into the 19th century, Giuseppe Rossilli (1818-1892) was a Italian political activist and journalist who played a significant role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. He was an outspoken advocate for democratic reforms and fought alongside Giuseppe Garibaldi in several battles.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Rossilli throughout history, showcasing the rich heritage and diverse contributions associated with this Italian name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rossilli
Among Census respondents with the surname Rossilli, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rossilli 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 Rossilli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rossilli
Rossilli 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+10 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 599 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,631 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 599 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,631 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 Rossilli 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 | #140,157 | #142,788 | -1.9% |
| Count | 119 | 119 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rossilli bearers went from 119 to 119 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,631 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #142,788.
FAQ
Rossilli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rossilli?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Rossilli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Rossilli?
Rossilli ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Rossilli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Rossilli.
Has Rossilli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rossilli went from 119 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Rossilli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rossilli, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (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 Rossilli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rossilli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (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 Rossilli (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 Rossilli mean?
An Italian surname derived from the place name Rosselle. 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 Rossilli (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 Rossilli?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Rossilli is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.