Find out how popular the last name Tonelli is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tonelli.

Tonelli, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tonelli surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tonelli in America

Tonelli is the 24159th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tonelli surname appeared 1,041 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tonelli.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tonelli to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tonelli

The surname Tonelli originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "tonello," which means a small barrel or cask. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked as a barrel maker or had some connection to that trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Tonelli can be traced back to the 13th century in various Italian documents and records. One notable example is the mention of a Guido Tonelli in a document from the city of Pisa, dated 1275. Additionally, the name appears in the historic Estimo Lucchese, a tax record from the city of Lucca, in the 14th century.

In the 15th century, the name Tonelli was associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Matteo Tonelli, a renowned painter from Siena who lived from 1420 to 1492. His works can still be found in various churches and museums across Italy.

Another prominent Tonelli was Giovanni Tonelli, a scholar and humanist born in Bologna in 1475. He was known for his contributions to the study of classical literature and his translations of ancient Greek texts.

During the Renaissance period, the Tonelli family played a significant role in the cultural and artistic life of Italy. One member, Luca Tonelli (1525-1602), was a celebrated architect and engineer who worked on various projects in Rome and other Italian cities.

In later centuries, the Tonelli surname continued to be associated with individuals of note. Pietro Tonelli (1688-1763) was a renowned mathematician and astronomer from Rimini, who made important contributions to the field of calculus and celestial mechanics.

Another notable figure was Giovanni Battista Tonelli (1824-1904), an Italian politician and statesman who served as the Minister of Finance and later as the Prime Minister of Italy in the late 19th century.

While the surname Tonelli has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the rich history and origins of this name can be traced back to the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, where it first emerged and gained prominence over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tonelli

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tonelli.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tonelli was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tonelli has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tonelli was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tonelli, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!