2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Scarselli
An Italian surname potentially derived from "scarso," meaning "scarce" or "sparse."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Scarselli. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scarselli 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Scarselli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scarselli, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scarselli
The surname "SCARSELLI" is of Italian origin, deriving from the region of Lombardy during the medieval period. It is believed to be a habitational name, referring to a person who hailed from a particular locality or settlement. The root of the name can be traced back to the word "scarso," which in Italian means scarce or sparse, potentially indicating a sparsely populated area or a place with limited resources.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard Kingdom, dated around the 8th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Scarselli" and "Scarzelli," suggesting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Scarselli was Guglielmo Scarselli, a prominent jurist and legal scholar from the city of Bologna. His works on canon law and civil law were widely studied and referenced during his time.
The renowned Renaissance artist, poet, and philosopher, Gaspare Scarselli, was born in the town of Audidri, near Mantua, in 1453. His paintings and literary works earned him great acclaim throughout Italy and beyond, and he is considered one of the most influential figures of the Italian Renaissance.
During the 16th century, a branch of the Scarselli family migrated to the Republic of Venice, where they established themselves as successful merchants and traders. One member, Francesco Scarselli (1520-1595), became a prominent figure in the Venetian trading community and contributed greatly to the city's economic prosperity.
In the 18th century, the name Scarselli gained further recognition with the birth of Giovanni Scarselli (1718-1795), a renowned composer and violinist from the city of Florence. His compositions for the violin were highly praised and performed throughout Europe, cementing his place in the history of Italian classical music.
Another notable figure was Maria Scarselli (1845-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. Born in the city of Verona, she dedicated her life to promoting educational opportunities for girls and women, challenging societal norms and paving the way for future generations of female scholars.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse contributions of individuals bearing the surname "SCARSELLI" across various fields, from law and arts to commerce and education, throughout the centuries in Italy and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scarselli
Among Census respondents with the surname Scarselli, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Scarselli 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 Scarselli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 101
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scarselli
Scarselli 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
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+11 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 11,758 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 Scarselli 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 | #159,712 | #147,954 | 7.4% |
| Count | 101 | 112 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scarselli bearers went from 101 to 112 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 11,758 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #147,954.
FAQ
Scarselli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scarselli?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Scarselli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Scarselli?
Scarselli ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Scarselli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Scarselli.
Has Scarselli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scarselli went from 101 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 11 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Scarselli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scarselli, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Scarselli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scarselli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (6.3%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Scarselli (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 Scarselli mean?
An Italian surname potentially derived from "scarso," meaning "scarce" or "sparse." 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 Scarselli (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 Scarselli?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.