2000
#9,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,250
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Scalise
An Italian occupational surname referring to a stonemason or one who cuts and dresses stone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,641 Americans carry the last name Scalise. That puts it at #9,753 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,137 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scalise 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
3.6K
1 in 94,137
Census rank
#9,753
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,175 bearers of the surname Scalise in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9753rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scalise, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scalise
The surname Scalise has its origins in Italy, where it first emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Italian word "scalise," which means "step" or "stair," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near a staircase or a stepped area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Scalise surname dates back to the 13th century in Sicily, where it appears in various historical documents. The name was particularly prevalent in the towns and villages surrounding the city of Palermo, indicating that this region may have been the initial epicenter of the Scalise lineage.
During the Renaissance period, the Scalise name gained prominence in several parts of Italy, particularly in Naples and the surrounding areas. Historical records from this time period mention individuals with the Scalise surname holding positions of importance within the local communities, such as merchants, artisans, and landowners.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Scalise name was Girolamo Scalise (1530-1592), a renowned Renaissance painter from Palermo. His works, which were heavily influenced by the Mannerist style, can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Sicily.
As the centuries passed, the Scalise surname continued to spread across Italy, with members of the family establishing themselves in various regions and contributing to the cultural and economic fabric of their respective communities. One such individual was Antonio Scalise (1760-1835), a prominent architect from Naples who played a significant role in the city's urban development during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
During the 19th century, the Scalise name also gained recognition in the literary world with the birth of Vincenzo Scalise (1818-1892), an Italian poet and writer from Palermo. His works, which often celebrated the beauty of his native Sicily, earned him widespread acclaim and a place among the notable literary figures of his time.
Another notable figure with the Scalise surname was Giuseppe Scalise (1879-1958), an Italian-American businessman and philanthropist from Palermo. After immigrating to the United States in the early 20th century, he established a successful import-export business and became known for his philanthropic endeavors, particularly in supporting educational initiatives for Italian-American communities.
While the Scalise surname has its roots firmly planted in Italy, over the centuries, it has also been carried to various parts of the world by Italian emigrants, ensuring that the name continues to have a global presence and a rich tapestry of cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scalise
Among Census respondents with the surname Scalise, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Scalise 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 Scalise surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 2,874
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 172
- Two or more races2.4% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
- Black or African American0.7% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scalise
Scalise 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
#9,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,551
+301 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 44 places
2020
#9,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,175
-376 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 567 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,230 | 3,250 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,186 | 3,551 | 1.20 | +301 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 44 places |
| 2020 | #9,753 | 3,175 | 1.06 | -376 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 567 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 Scalise 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 | #9,186 | #9,753 | -6.2% |
| Count | 3,551 | 3,175 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.06 | -11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scalise bearers went from 3,551 to 3,175 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 567 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,186 to #9,753.
FAQ
Scalise surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scalise?
Name Census estimates that about 3,641 living Americans carry the surname Scalise. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,137 residents.
How common is Scalise?
Scalise ranks #9,753 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,175 people with the surname Scalise. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,641), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Scalise.
Has Scalise become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scalise went from 3,551 recorded bearers to 3,175. That is a decrease of 376 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,186 to #9,753.
What does the Census say about the background of Scalise?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scalise, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Scalise in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (2,874 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scalise appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Scalise (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 Scalise mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a stonemason or one who cuts and dresses stone. 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 Scalise (1.06 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 share the surname Scalise?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.