2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stornelli
An Italian surname derived from the word "stornello" meaning a type of lyrical folk song.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Stornelli. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stornelli 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Stornelli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stornelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stornelli
The surname STORNELLI originates from Italy, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "stornello," which refers to a type of improvised folk song or poem popular in rural areas of Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Lazio.
The earliest recorded instances of the STORNELLI name can be found in historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a Stornelli family in the archives of the city of Siena, dated around 1380. This suggests that the name was already established in the Tuscan region during that time.
In the 16th century, the STORNELLI name appears in various records from the Papal States, including the city of Rome. This could indicate that some families bearing this surname may have migrated from Tuscany to the neighboring regions, possibly seeking new opportunities or fleeing political or economic turmoil.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the STORNELLI surname is Pietro Stornelli, a poet and musician from the town of Pienza in Tuscany, who lived in the late 15th century. His work is believed to have influenced the development of the stornello poetic form, which became a staple of Tuscan folk culture.
Another notable figure is Giulio Stornelli, a 17th-century painter from Siena who specialized in religious artwork. His paintings can be found in various churches and private collections throughout Italy.
In the 18th century, the STORNELLI name gained prominence with the birth of Antonio Stornelli (1723-1795), a renowned architect from Rome. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city, including the Church of San Nicola dei Prefetti and the Palazzo Salviati.
During the 19th century, the STORNELLI surname spread further across Italy, with families settling in different regions. One noteworthy individual from this period is Giuseppe Stornelli (1839-1917), a politician and lawyer from Campania who served as a member of the Italian Parliament.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, Alfredo Stornelli (1892-1968) was a celebrated Italian composer and songwriter from Rome. He is best known for his contributions to the genre of Roman folk music, with many of his songs becoming popular classics.
While the STORNELLI surname may have originated from a poetic tradition, it has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, architects, politicians, and professionals, across multiple regions of Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stornelli
Among Census respondents with the surname Stornelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Stornelli 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 Stornelli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 8
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stornelli
Stornelli 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,358 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,358 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 7,498 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 Stornelli 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 | #144,141 | #151,639 | -5.2% |
| Count | 115 | 107 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stornelli bearers went from 115 to 107 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 7,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #151,639.
FAQ
Stornelli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stornelli?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Stornelli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Stornelli?
Stornelli ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Stornelli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Stornelli.
Has Stornelli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stornelli went from 115 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Stornelli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stornelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Stornelli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stornelli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Hispanic (7.5%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Stornelli (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 Stornelli mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "stornello" meaning a type of lyrical folk song. 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 Stornelli (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 Americans have the surname Stornelli?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.