2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Senise
A surname derived from the Italian town of Senise.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Senise. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Senise 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Senise in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Senise, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.5%) and Black (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Senise
The surname "Senise" is of Italian origin, specifically from the southern region of Basilicata. It is believed to have derived from the name of the town of Senise, located in the province of Potenza, which dates back to ancient Roman times.
The town's name is thought to have its roots in the Latin word "senis," meaning "old man" or "elder," possibly referring to the town's ancient origins or its founders. Alternatively, it may have come from the Latin word "senex," meaning "old age."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Senise can be traced back to a document from the 13th century, which lists a certain "Riccardo Senise" as a landowner in the area around the town of Senise.
During the 16th century, the name appears in various historical records, including a register of births and deaths in the town of Senise itself. At this time, variations in spelling, such as "Senisio" and "Senisio," were common.
In the 19th century, several individuals bearing the surname Senise gained prominence. One notable figure was Giovanni Senise (1791-1867), an Italian jurist and politician who served as a member of the Neapolitan Parliament.
Another prominent individual was Vincenzo Senise (1810-1888), an Italian painter known for his landscapes and religious works, many of which can still be seen in churches throughout southern Italy.
In the early 20th century, Nicola Senise (1876-1942) was a renowned Italian mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the fields of calculus and algebraic geometry.
Towards the latter half of the century, Mario Senise (1914-1993) was a successful Italian businessman and industrialist who founded one of Italy's largest construction companies.
More recently, Giuseppe Senise (1944-2019) was a respected Italian lawyer and legal scholar who specialized in constitutional law and served as a judge on the Constitutional Court of Italy.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Senise, which has its roots firmly planted in the ancient town of the same name in southern Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Senise
Among Census respondents with the surname Senise, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.5%) and Black (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Senise 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 Senise surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.7% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino19.5% · 23
- Black or African American4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Senise
Senise 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 158 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,742 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Down 158 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 3,742 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 Senise 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 | #143,511 | 2.5% |
| Count | 112 | 118 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Senise bearers went from 112 to 118 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 3,742 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #143,511.
FAQ
Senise surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Senise?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Senise. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Senise?
Senise ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Senise. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Senise.
Has Senise become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Senise went from 112 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Senise?
Among Census respondents with the surname Senise, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.5%) and Black (4.2%). 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 Senise in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.7% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Senise appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.7%), Hispanic (19.5%), Black (4.2%). 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 Senise (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 Senise mean?
A surname derived from the Italian town of Senise. 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 Senise (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 are called Senise?
Find out how many people have the surname Senise on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.