2000
#91,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 187
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Sportelli
An Italian occupational surname for someone who made or sold shutters or small doors.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 193 Americans carry the last name Sportelli. That puts it at #111,467 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,775,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sportelli 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
193
1 in 1,775,929
Census rank
#111,467
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
168
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 168 bearers of the surname Sportelli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 111467th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sportelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sportelli
The surname Sportelli is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the central or southern regions of Italy, particularly in areas around Rome and Naples. The name is derived from the Italian word "sportello," meaning a small door, opening, or shutter, suggesting a possible connection to an occupation involving windows or doors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sportelli can be found in historical records from the 14th century. In a manuscript dated 1327, a certain "Giovanni Sportelli" is mentioned as a resident of the town of Viterbo, located in the province of Lazio, not far from Rome. This reference provides evidence of the name's existence during the late medieval period.
In the 15th century, the name Sportelli appears in several official documents from the city of Naples. A notable mention is that of "Giulio Sportelli," a merchant who lived in the early 1400s and was involved in trade with the Venetian Republic. This suggests that the Sportelli family may have had a presence in the thriving commercial centers of the Italian peninsula during the Renaissance era.
During the 16th century, the Sportelli name gained prominence in the region of Campania, particularly in the town of Avellino. Historical records from this period mention a "Tommaso Sportelli," a renowned artisan and craftsman who specialized in creating intricate wooden door panels and window frames. His work can still be admired in some of the town's ancient churches and noble residences.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the Sportelli surname was "Giacomo Sportelli," a scholar and philosopher who lived in the late 16th century. Born in Naples in 1562, he studied at the University of Padua and later became a professor of philosophy at the University of Bologna. Giacomo Sportelli authored several treatises on metaphysics and logic, which were widely circulated among the intellectual circles of his time.
In the 18th century, the name Sportelli gained recognition in the field of music. "Antonio Sportelli," a renowned composer and violinist, was born in Naples in 1724. He composed numerous operas and instrumental works, many of which were performed in the prestigious theaters of Italy and other European cities.
As the Sportelli family continued to spread throughout Italy over the centuries, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Sportello, Sportella, and Sportilli. However, the core meaning and pronunciation remained largely unchanged, reflecting the name's enduring Italian heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sportelli
Among Census respondents with the surname Sportelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sportelli 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 Sportelli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sportelli
Sportelli 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
#94,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194
+7 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 2,907 places
2020
#111,467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
-26 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 17,156 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #91,404 | 187 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #94,311 | 194 | 0.07 | +7 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 2,907 places |
| 2020 | #111,467 | 168 | 0.06 | -26 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 17,156 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 Sportelli 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 | #94,311 | #111,467 | -18.2% |
| Count | 194 | 168 | -13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sportelli bearers went from 194 to 168 (-13.4% change). The surname moved down 17,156 positions in the national ranking, going from #94,311 to #111,467.
FAQ
Sportelli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sportelli?
Name Census estimates that about 193 living Americans carry the surname Sportelli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,775,929 residents.
How common is Sportelli?
Sportelli ranks #111,467 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 168 people with the surname Sportelli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (193), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Sportelli.
Has Sportelli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sportelli went from 194 recorded bearers to 168. That is a decrease of 26 (-13.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #94,311 to #111,467.
What does the Census say about the background of Sportelli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sportelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Sportelli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (165 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sportelli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Sportelli (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 Sportelli mean?
An Italian occupational surname for someone who made or sold shutters or small doors. 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 Sportelli (0.06 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 share the surname Sportelli?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.