2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Spaletta
An Italian topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a projecting spur of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Spaletta. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Spaletta 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Spaletta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Spaletta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Spaletta
The surname Spaletta is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the northern regions of Italy during the medieval period. The name is believed to have evolved from the Italian word "spaletta," which means "small shoulder" or "small ledge." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person's physical characteristics or occupation related to construction or masonry work.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the Spaletta surname can be found in historical records from the city of Genoa, dating back to the 13th century. During this time, the Ligurian region of northwestern Italy, where Genoa is located, was a hub of maritime trade and commerce, and the Spaletta family may have been involved in activities related to shipbuilding or port operations.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the Spaletta name was Guglielmo Spaletta, a merchant and diplomat from Genoa who represented the Republic of Genoa in various international negotiations and trade agreements. His legacy demonstrates the prominence of the Spaletta family in the economic and political spheres of the time.
As the Spaletta surname spread throughout Italy, it became associated with various locales and place names. For instance, in the region of Veneto, there is a town called Spaletta di Masserano, which may have given rise to variations of the surname or contributed to its geographical distribution.
During the Renaissance period, the Spaletta family produced several notable artists and scholars. One such figure was Antonio Spaletta (1450-1521), a renowned painter from Vicenza who was renowned for his religious fresco works and portraits of aristocratic patrons.
In the 18th century, the Spaletta surname gained further prominence with the birth of Giambattista Spaletta (1728-1795), a respected Italian philosopher and theologian. His writings on ethics, metaphysics, and the nature of the human soul earned him recognition throughout Europe during the Age of Enlightenment.
Another notable figure bearing the Spaletta surname was Cesare Spaletta (1845-1910), an Italian military officer and politician who served as a deputy in the Italian Parliament and played a role in the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy.
Despite its Italian origins, the Spaletta surname has also found its way into other parts of the world, likely through migration and diaspora. However, the historical legacy and cultural significance of this name remain deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of Italian history and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Spaletta
Among Census respondents with the surname Spaletta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Spaletta 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 Spaletta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Spaletta
Spaletta 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+6 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,425 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-22 bearers (-16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,380 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 3,425 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-16.8%) | Down 20,380 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 Spaletta 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 | #129,825 | #150,205 | -15.7% |
| Count | 131 | 109 | -16.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Spaletta bearers went from 131 to 109 (-16.8% change). The surname moved down 20,380 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #150,205.
FAQ
Spaletta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Spaletta?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Spaletta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Spaletta?
Spaletta ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Spaletta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Spaletta.
Has Spaletta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Spaletta went from 131 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 22 (-16.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Spaletta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Spaletta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Spaletta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Spaletta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Spaletta (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 Spaletta mean?
An Italian topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a projecting spur of land. 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 Spaletta (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 Spaletta?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.