2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Scerri
A surname of Maltese origin meaning 'free man' or 'freeman'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Scerri. 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 Scerri 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 Scerri 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 Scerri, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scerri
The surname Scerri is believed to have originated from the Mediterranean island of Malta. It is derived from the Maltese word "skurr" which means "rock" or "cliff". This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with someone who lived near a rocky or cliffy area, or perhaps a stonemason or quarryman.
The earliest known record of the Scerri surname dates back to the 15th century when it appeared in Maltese parish records. It is thought to have been particularly prevalent in the village of Siggiewi, which is known for its limestone quarries.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Scerri name can be found in various Maltese legal documents and records. One notable example is Vincenzo Scerri, a Maltese jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1550 to 1618.
In the 18th century, the Scerri family produced several notable figures in Maltese history. These include Saverio Scerri (1744-1817), a renowned architect who designed several churches and palaces in Malta, and Emmanuele Scerri (1766-1835), a physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of Maltese flora.
As the Maltese diaspora spread around the world in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Scerri name began to appear in other countries. One prominent individual was Carlo Scerri (1867-1939), a Maltese-Australian engineer who was involved in the construction of several major railways and bridges in Australia.
Another notable Scerri was Karmenu Scerri (1913-2005), a Maltese politician and journalist who served as the Speaker of the Maltese House of Representatives from 1971 to 1976.
While the Scerri surname is most commonly associated with Malta, it can also be found in other parts of the Mediterranean region, particularly in Sicily and southern Italy, where it may have similar origins or connections to the Maltese name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scerri
Among Census respondents with the surname Scerri, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Scerri 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 Scerri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scerri
Scerri 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,785 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,560 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,785 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,560 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 Scerri 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 | #139,228 | #142,788 | -2.6% |
| Count | 120 | 119 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scerri bearers went from 120 to 119 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,560 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #142,788.
FAQ
Scerri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scerri?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Scerri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Scerri?
Scerri 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 Scerri. 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 Scerri.
Has Scerri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scerri went from 120 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Scerri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scerri, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Scerri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scerri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (5.9%), Black (0.8%). 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 Scerri (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 Scerri mean?
A surname of Maltese origin meaning 'free man' or 'freeman'. 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 Scerri (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 Americans have the surname Scerri?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.