2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Spaccarelli
A surname likely derived from Italian words relating to splitting or cleaving wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Spaccarelli. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spaccarelli 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Spaccarelli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spaccarelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spaccarelli
The surname Spaccarelli originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Lazio. It can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "spaccare," which means "to split" or "to cleave," likely referring to an occupation or trade involving the splitting of wood or other materials.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Spaccarelli can be found in a document from the town of Caserta, dated 1387. The document refers to a certain Giovanni Spaccarelli, who was a woodcutter by profession. This suggests that the name was closely associated with the woodcutting or logging industry in its early origins.
In the 15th century, the name appears in records from the city of Rome, where a family of Spaccarelli merchants and traders were documented. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its initial rural origins and had gained a foothold in urban centers as well.
The Spaccarelli surname has been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One example is Girolamo Spaccarelli (1510-1578), a renowned Italian architect and sculptor who worked on various projects in Rome and other parts of Italy during the Renaissance period.
Another prominent figure was Francesco Spaccarelli (1635-1712), a Neapolitan painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was active during the Baroque era and had many commissions from churches and noble patrons in Naples and the surrounding region.
In the 19th century, Vincenzo Spaccarelli (1801-1879) was a celebrated Italian opera singer and composer. He performed in many of the major opera houses of Europe and composed several operas and other musical works.
A more recent example is Rosario Spaccarelli (1917-2002), an Italian-American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various charitable organizations in the United States after immigrating from Italy in the mid-20th century.
Throughout its history, the Spaccarelli surname has been associated with various professions and trades, from woodcutters and artisans to merchants and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spaccarelli
Among Census respondents with the surname Spaccarelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Spaccarelli 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 Spaccarelli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino10.8% · 11
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spaccarelli
Spaccarelli 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
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-8 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,360 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 5,360 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 Spaccarelli 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 | #149,395 | #154,755 | -3.6% |
| Count | 110 | 102 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spaccarelli bearers went from 110 to 102 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 5,360 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #154,755.
FAQ
Spaccarelli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spaccarelli?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Spaccarelli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Spaccarelli?
Spaccarelli ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Spaccarelli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Spaccarelli.
Has Spaccarelli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spaccarelli went from 110 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Spaccarelli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spaccarelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Spaccarelli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spaccarelli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Hispanic (10.8%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Spaccarelli (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 Spaccarelli mean?
A surname likely derived from Italian words relating to splitting or cleaving wood. 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 Spaccarelli (0.03 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 last name Spaccarelli?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Spaccarelli on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.