2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zancanella
An Italian surname derived from a place name referring to a small canal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Zancanella. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zancanella 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Zancanella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zancanella, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zancanella
The surname Zancanella is of Italian origin, emerging in northern Italy, particularly in regions such as Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige. The time period for the earliest emergence of this surname is somewhat unclear, but evidence suggests that it dates back to at least the late Middle Ages.
The name Zancanella is believed to derive from the Venetian dialect word "zanca," which means "leg" or "stilt." Its diminutive form, "zancan," might refer to someone with distinctly long legs or a person who walked with a noticeable gait. Adding the suffix "ella" is typical in Italian to form a family name or indicate a smaller or affectionate form, thus giving Zancanella a likely meaning related to a distinguishable physical trait or nickname.
Historical references to the name Zancanella are scarce but can be found in regional records and local manuscripts. One of the earliest mentions of the name appears in a 14th-century document detailing properties and inhabitants of a small village near Venice. The Venetian merchant Pietro Zancanella, who lived in the late 1400s, is one of the first recorded individuals with this surname. His trading activities between Venice and the Ottoman Empire are documented in merchant logs of the era.
Another individual, Giovanni Zancanella, was noted in the 16th century for his work as a craftsman in the town of Verona. His skill in metalworking was recognized in a guild registry from 1567. Historical population rolls from the region provide additional evidence of the surname's usage during the Renaissance period.
In more recent historical contexts, Maria Zancanella, born in 1801 in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, became well-known for her charitable activities and established a local orphanage, which significantly impacted her community. She passed away in 1875, leaving a legacy in the local history.
Another prominent figure bearing the surname is Giuseppe Zancanella, born in 1822, who was an influential figure in the Italian unification process. His contributions to the Risorgimento movement were documented by historians, and he played a particularly significant role in the Battle of Solferino in 1859.
Moving into the 20th century, Luigi Zancanella, born in 1903, became a noted figure in Italian aviation history. He was one of the early pioneers of the Italian Air Force and contributed significantly to its development during World War II. His achievements were recorded in military archives, and he passed away in 1968.
The surname Zancanella retains its cultural significance in Italy and among Italian diaspora communities worldwide. The name still evokes a sense of heritage and connection to northern Italy, where its historical roots remain deeply embedded.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zancanella
Among Census respondents with the surname Zancanella, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Zancanella 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 Zancanella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino8.6% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zancanella
Zancanella 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,026 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,888 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,026 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,888 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 Zancanella 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 | #141,140 | #145,028 | -2.8% |
| Count | 118 | 116 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zancanella bearers went from 118 to 116 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,888 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #145,028.
FAQ
Zancanella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zancanella?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Zancanella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Zancanella?
Zancanella ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Zancanella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Zancanella.
Has Zancanella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zancanella went from 118 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Zancanella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zancanella, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Zancanella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zancanella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Hispanic (8.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Zancanella (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 Zancanella mean?
An Italian surname derived from a place name referring to a small canal. 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 Zancanella (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 people have the last name Zancanella?
Want to know how many people have the surname Zancanella? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.