2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sannito
Italian surname possibly denoting someone from Sannio, a historical region of Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Sannito. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sannito 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Sannito in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sannito, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sannito
The surname SANNITO is of Italian origin, originating in the region of Campania in Southern Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word 'Samnites', which referred to an ancient Italic people who inhabited the mountainous regions of what is now modern-day Campania and parts of Abruzzo and Molise.
The SANNITO name can be traced back to the 11th century, with records showing its presence in various towns and villages in the Campania region. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in a document from the year 1089, which mentions a certain 'Petrus Sannito' from the town of Avellino.
In the 13th century, the SANNITO name appeared in the historical records of the city of Naples, where a notable figure named Giacomo Sannito (c.1210-1280) served as a respected jurist and legal scholar. He was known for his contributions to the development of the legal system in the Kingdom of Naples during the reign of the Angevin dynasty.
Another prominent individual with the SANNITO surname was Giovanni Sannito (c.1450-1521), a Renaissance humanist and philosopher from the town of Ariano Irpino. He was renowned for his works on philosophy, literature, and rhetoric, and served as a tutor to several noble families in Naples.
In the 16th century, the SANNITO name was associated with the town of Cervinara, located in the province of Avellino. A local noble family, the Sannito di Cervinara, held significant influence in the region and was known for their patronage of the arts and literature.
One of the most famous bearers of the SANNITO name was Antonio Sannito (1701-1783), a Neapolitan painter and sculptor who achieved great renown for his religious works and portraiture. His works can be found in numerous churches and museums throughout Italy, including the Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte in Naples.
Over the centuries, the SANNITO surname has spread beyond the borders of Campania, with individuals bearing this name found in various parts of Italy and even abroad. However, its roots remain firmly tied to the ancient Samnite people and the rich cultural heritage of Southern Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sannito
Among Census respondents with the surname Sannito, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Sannito 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 Sannito surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sannito
Sannito appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,386 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 4,386 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 Sannito 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 | #147,253 | #151,639 | -3.0% |
| Count | 112 | 107 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sannito bearers went from 112 to 107 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 4,386 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #151,639.
FAQ
Sannito surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sannito?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Sannito. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Sannito?
Sannito ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Sannito. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Sannito.
Has Sannito become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sannito went from 112 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Sannito?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sannito, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Sannito in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sannito appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Sannito (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 Sannito mean?
Italian surname possibly denoting someone from Sannio, a historical region of Italy. 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 Sannito (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 many people have the surname Sannito?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.