2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Smeraglia
An Italian surname possibly derived from 'smeraldo' meaning emerald or 'smeriglio' meaning emery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Smeraglia. 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 Smeraglia 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 Smeraglia 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 Smeraglia, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Smeraglia
The surname Smeraglia is of Italian origin, believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have originated in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the area surrounding the city of Verona. The name is likely derived from the Italian word "smeraldo," meaning emerald, possibly indicating a connection to the gemstone trade or a descriptive reference to someone with green or emerald-like eyes.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Smeraglia name can be found in a 14th-century document from the Verona region, referencing a certain Girolamo Smeraglia, a merchant and landowner. This suggests that the family may have been involved in trade and commerce during that time. Additionally, there are records of a Gianfranco Smeraglia, born in 1487, who was a skilled artisan and goldsmith in the city of Venice.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the writings of the renowned Italian historian and scholar, Pietro Bembo, who documented the presence of a noble family called Smeraglia in the city of Brescia. This indicates that the name had gained prominence and was associated with aristocratic circles by that point.
One notable figure bearing the Smeraglia name was Antonio Smeraglia (1618-1697), a celebrated painter and fresco artist from the town of Castelfranco Veneto. His works adorned numerous churches and palaces throughout the Veneto region, and he was renowned for his mastery of the Baroque style.
Another significant individual was Giacomo Smeraglia (1754-1824), a prominent lawyer and legal scholar from the city of Verona. He authored several influential treatises on civil law and served as a judge in the Venetian court system during the latter part of the 18th century.
In the 19th century, the Smeraglia name gained further recognition with the birth of Giovanni Battista Smeraglia (1825-1898), a renowned architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and public spaces in Milan, including the iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Throughout its history, the Smeraglia surname has been associated with various professions and social strata, from merchants and artisans to lawyers, artists, and architects. Its origins can be traced back to the northern regions of Italy, particularly around Verona and neighboring areas, where it likely emerged as a descriptive or occupational name during the late medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Smeraglia
Among Census respondents with the surname Smeraglia, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Smeraglia 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 Smeraglia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 104
- Two or more races6.8% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Smeraglia
Smeraglia 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+6 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,288 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,021 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 3,288 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 8,021 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 Smeraglia 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 | #151,532 | #143,511 | 5.3% |
| Count | 108 | 118 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Smeraglia bearers went from 108 to 118 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 8,021 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #143,511.
FAQ
Smeraglia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Smeraglia?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Smeraglia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Smeraglia?
Smeraglia 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 Smeraglia. 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 Smeraglia.
Has Smeraglia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Smeraglia went from 108 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 10 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Smeraglia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Smeraglia, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (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 Smeraglia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Smeraglia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Two or More Races (6.8%), Hispanic (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 Smeraglia (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 Smeraglia mean?
An Italian surname possibly derived from 'smeraldo' meaning emerald or 'smeriglio' meaning emery. 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 Smeraglia (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 Smeraglia?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Smeraglia, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.