2000
#50,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 393
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Zerilli
A Greek surname derived from Zerbeli, a historical family name from Zante island.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 495 Americans carry the last name Zerilli. That puts it at #51,968 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 692,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zerilli 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
495
1 in 692,433
Census rank
#51,968
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
432
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 432 bearers of the surname Zerilli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51968th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zerilli, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zerilli
The surname Zerilli has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions. Emerging during the late Middle Ages, the name is believed to be derived from the Italian word "zerrillo," which itself is a diminutive form of "zerra," a term indicating a saw or cutting tool, pointing to an ancestral occupation related to woodworking or metalworking. Alternate spellings such as Zerrilli or Zerillo have also been documented, reflecting regional dialects and variations in spelling conventions.
Historical records and manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries indicate the presence of the Zerilli family in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. One of the earliest known references is in a 1422 land grant in Palermo, where a Giacomo Zerilli is listed as a landholder. This suggests the family had attained a certain level of prominence and affluence.
In 1521, another notable Zerilli, Michele Zerilli, is recorded in Naples as a merchant engaging in trade throughout the Mediterranean. His business records, preserved in the archives of Naples, provide valuable insights into the trade networks of the period and the family's role within them.
The name appears again in the mid-17th century with Tommaso Zerilli, born in 1643 in Messina. Tommaso was a renowned sculptor whose works can still be seen in various churches and public buildings throughout Sicily. His contributions to Baroque art during his lifetime, which ended in 1695, cemented the Zerilli name in the cultural history of the region.
In the 18th century, Pietro Zerilli, born in 1710, moved to Rome and established himself as a prominent lawyer and legal scholar. His legal treatises, particularly those on maritime law, were influential in the jurisprudence of the time. Pietro Zerilli's death in 1782 marked the end of a significant chapter in the family's intellectual legacy.
The Zerilli name surfaces again in the 19th century with Giuseppe Zerilli, born in 1835 in Catania. Giuseppe became a noted revolutionary figure during the Italian unification movement. His participation in several key uprisings against the Bourbon monarchy made him a local hero, although he died in exile in 1877.
Throughout these centuries, the Zerilli surname has been associated with various professions and arts, reflecting the diverse talents and societal contributions of the family. The rich and varied history of the name highlights the enduring legacy of the Zerilli family across generations and regions in Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zerilli
Among Census respondents with the surname Zerilli, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Zerilli 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 Zerilli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 397
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 25
- Two or more races1.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zerilli
Zerilli 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
#51,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 403
+10 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 1,555 places
2020
#51,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 432
+29 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,055 | 393 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #51,610 | 403 | 0.14 | +10 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 1,555 places |
| 2020 | #51,968 | 432 | 0.14 | +29 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 358 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 Zerilli 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 | #51,610 | #51,968 | -0.7% |
| Count | 403 | 432 | 7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.14 | 3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zerilli bearers went from 403 to 432 (+7.2% change). The surname moved down 358 positions in the national ranking, going from #51,610 to #51,968.
FAQ
Zerilli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zerilli?
Name Census estimates that about 495 living Americans carry the surname Zerilli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 692,433 residents.
How common is Zerilli?
Zerilli ranks #51,968 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 432 people with the surname Zerilli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (495), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Zerilli.
Has Zerilli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zerilli went from 403 recorded bearers to 432. That is an increase of 29 (+7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #51,610 to #51,968.
What does the Census say about the background of Zerilli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zerilli, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Zerilli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (397 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zerilli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Zerilli (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 Zerilli mean?
A Greek surname derived from Zerbeli, a historical family name from Zante island. 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 Zerilli (0.14 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 Zerilli?
Find out how many people have the last name Zerilli on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.