2000
#12,218
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,338
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Visconti
An Italian surname referring to a viscount or someone acting on behalf of a count.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,586 Americans carry the last name Visconti. That puts it at #13,017 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,542 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Visconti 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
2.6K
1 in 132,542
Census rank
#13,017
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,255 bearers of the surname Visconti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13017th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Visconti, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Visconti
The surname Visconti originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "vicecomes," which translates to "viscount" or "vice-count," a title of nobility that was a rank just below a count. The name was likely adopted by individuals who held this position or were associated with someone who did.
The Visconti family was a powerful noble dynasty that ruled Milan and its territories from 1277 to 1447. They played a significant role in the politics and history of northern Italy during this time. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Visconti can be found in the 11th century, when Ottone Visconti served as Archbishop of Milan from 1057 to 1085.
Another notable figure was Matteo I Visconti, who was born in 1250 and became the Lord of Milan in 1287. He established the Visconti dynasty's rule over the city and laid the foundations for their subsequent rise to power. His grandson, Galeazzo II Visconti (1320-1378), further expanded the family's territories and was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in Milan, including the Visconti Castle.
During the Renaissance period, the Visconti family continued to play a significant role in Italian politics and culture. Filippo Maria Visconti (1392-1447) was the last Duke of Milan from the Visconti dynasty. After his death, the family's rule came to an end, and they were succeeded by the Sforza family.
Other notable individuals with the surname Visconti include the Italian painter and architect Galeazzo Alessi Visconti (1512-1572), who is best known for his design of the Palazzo Marino in Milan. The name Visconti has also been associated with various place names, such as the town of Visconti in the province of Viterbo, Italy.
Throughout history, the surname Visconti has been linked to power, influence, and cultural significance, particularly in the context of medieval and Renaissance Italy. Its origins as a noble title and its association with the ruling dynasty of Milan have contributed to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Visconti
Among Census respondents with the surname Visconti, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Visconti 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 Visconti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 2,013
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 171
- Two or more races2.3% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Visconti
Visconti 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
#12,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,540
+202 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 29 places
2020
#13,017
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,255
-285 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 770 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,218 | 2,338 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,247 | 2,540 | 0.86 | +202 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 29 places |
| 2020 | #13,017 | 2,255 | 0.75 | -285 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 770 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 Visconti 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 | #12,247 | #13,017 | -6.3% |
| Count | 2,540 | 2,255 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.75 | -12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Visconti bearers went from 2,540 to 2,255 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 770 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,247 to #13,017.
FAQ
Visconti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Visconti?
Name Census estimates that about 2,586 living Americans carry the surname Visconti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,542 residents.
How common is Visconti?
Visconti ranks #13,017 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,255 people with the surname Visconti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,586), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Visconti.
Has Visconti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Visconti went from 2,540 recorded bearers to 2,255. That is a decrease of 285 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,247 to #13,017.
What does the Census say about the background of Visconti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Visconti, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.6%) 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 Visconti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (2,013 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Visconti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (7.6%), 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 Visconti (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 Visconti mean?
An Italian surname referring to a viscount or someone acting on behalf of a count. 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 Visconti (0.75 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 common is the surname Visconti?
Find out how many people are called Visconti on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.