2000
#65,862
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 281
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Tartamella
An Italian surname derived from the word "tartamella" meaning "stutterer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 349 Americans carry the last name Tartamella. That puts it at #69,562 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 982,104 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tartamella 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
349
1 in 982,104
Census rank
#69,562
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
304
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 304 bearers of the surname Tartamella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69562nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tartamella, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tartamella
The surname Tartamella has its origins in Italy, with records dating back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "tartaglia," which means "to stutter" or "to stammer." This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone who had a speech impediment or who spoke in a halting manner.
One of the earliest known references to the name Tartamella can be found in the historical records of the city of Florence in the 14th century. A document from 1375 mentions a certain Piero Tartamella, who was a merchant and landowner in the region.
In the 15th century, the Tartamella family appears to have established a presence in the city of Naples, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable figure from this era was Antonio Tartamella, a renowned architect who worked on several churches and palaces in Naples between 1450 and 1480.
During the Renaissance period, the name Tartamella gained further prominence in the arts and literature. Giacomo Tartamella (1515-1585) was a celebrated poet and playwright from Venice, known for his satirical works and mastery of the Italian language.
In the 17th century, the Tartamella name can be found in the historical records of the papal states, particularly in the city of Rome. One notable figure from this time was Girolamo Tartamella (1625-1695), a Jesuit scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on religious doctrine.
Another significant figure bearing the Tartamella name was Alessandro Tartamella (1760-1835), a military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a general in the Kingdom of Naples.
Throughout the centuries, the Tartamella surname has been associated with various place names and regions within Italy. Some examples include the town of Tartamella in the province of Salerno, as well as the village of Tartamellon in the province of Treviso.
While the name Tartamella is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of Italy's rich cultural heritage and a testament to the diverse origins and meanings of surnames in the Italian tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tartamella
Among Census respondents with the surname Tartamella, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tartamella 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 Tartamella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.1% · 289
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 7
- Two or more races2.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tartamella
Tartamella 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
#67,126
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 294
+13 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 1,264 places
2020
#69,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 304
+10 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 2,436 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #65,862 | 281 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #67,126 | 294 | 0.10 | +13 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 1,264 places |
| 2020 | #69,562 | 304 | 0.10 | +10 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 2,436 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 Tartamella 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 | #67,126 | #69,562 | -3.6% |
| Count | 294 | 304 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tartamella bearers went from 294 to 304 (+3.4% change). The surname moved down 2,436 positions in the national ranking, going from #67,126 to #69,562.
FAQ
Tartamella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tartamella?
Name Census estimates that about 349 living Americans carry the surname Tartamella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 982,104 residents.
How common is Tartamella?
Tartamella ranks #69,562 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 304 people with the surname Tartamella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (349), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Tartamella.
Has Tartamella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tartamella went from 294 recorded bearers to 304. That is an increase of 10 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #67,126 to #69,562.
What does the Census say about the background of Tartamella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tartamella, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Tartamella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (289 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tartamella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.1%), Hispanic (2.3%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Tartamella (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 Tartamella mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "tartamella" meaning "stutterer". 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 Tartamella (0.10 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 Tartamella?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Tartamella at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.