2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Scalesse
An Italian surname derived from a word meaning "without shoes" or "barefoot".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Scalesse. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scalesse 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Scalesse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scalesse, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scalesse
The surname Scalesse has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Lazio. It can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is likely derived from the Italian word "scala," which means "stair" or "ladder," indicating that the family may have lived near a prominent staircase or on a steep hillside.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Scalesse can be found in a manuscript from the city of Salerno, dated to the late 15th century. This document mentions a certain Giovanni Scalesse, who was a merchant involved in the trade of spices and textiles. Another early reference comes from a 16th-century census record in the town of Gaeta, where a family by the name of Scalesse is listed as landowners.
In the 17th century, the name appears in several church records from the region of Lazio, particularly in the towns of Frosinone and Anagni. One notable figure from this time period was Tomaso Scalesse (1624-1691), a Catholic priest and scholar who authored a treatise on the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas.
The name Scalesse has also been associated with several place names in Italy, such as the village of Scalesse near the town of Caserta in Campania. This village likely took its name from the family who lived there or owned land in the area.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the surname Scalesse gained recognition in various fields. For example, Antonio Scalesse (1764-1832) was a prominent architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Naples and the surrounding region. Vincenzo Scalesse (1789-1856) was a renowned painter whose works can still be found in various galleries and museums throughout Italy.
Another notable figure was Giulia Scalesse (1817-1892), a writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and prose. Her works often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
In the late 19th century, a certain Carlo Scalesse (1853-1921) became a successful businessman and entrepreneur, establishing a thriving textile factory in the city of Salerno. His company employed hundreds of workers and played a significant role in the local economy.
Despite its Italian roots, the surname Scalesse has also been found in other parts of Europe and the Americas, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. However, the name remains most strongly associated with its origins in the regions of Campania and Lazio, where it has a rich and diverse history spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scalesse
Among Census respondents with the surname Scalesse, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Scalesse 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 Scalesse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 89
- Two or more races5.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scalesse
Scalesse 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,950 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-7 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,236 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,950 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 2,236 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 Scalesse 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 | #153,769 | #156,005 | -1.5% |
| Count | 106 | 99 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scalesse bearers went from 106 to 99 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 2,236 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #156,005.
FAQ
Scalesse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scalesse?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Scalesse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Scalesse?
Scalesse ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Scalesse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Scalesse.
Has Scalesse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scalesse went from 106 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Scalesse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scalesse, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Scalesse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scalesse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Scalesse (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 Scalesse mean?
An Italian surname derived from a word meaning "without shoes" or "barefoot". 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 Scalesse (0.03 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 Scalesse?
See how many Americans have the surname Scalesse on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.