2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zimmitti
A surname of Italian origin referring to someone who plays the zither (an instrument).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Zimmitti. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zimmitti 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Zimmitti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zimmitti, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zimmitti
The surname Zimmitti has its origins in Italy, specifically in the Sicilian region. The name first appeared during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th to 15th centuries. It is primarily associated with the southeastern part of Sicily, particularly in the provinces of Syracuse and Ragusa. There are similarities in pronunciation and spelling with the Sicilian and Italian term "zimmi," which means "olive," suggesting a possible connection to occupations or locations tied to olive cultivation or trade.
The surname Zimmitti has been found in various historical records and ecclesiastical manuscripts from the region. The earliest recorded instance of the surname dates back to a 1423 land registration document. In this document, a Giacomo Zimmitti was listed as a landowner in Noto, a town in the province of Syracuse. This indicates both the presence and some level of social status of the Zimmitti family during this period.
Another notable figure, Paolo Zimmitti, is recorded in the 1563 records of the Bishopric of Syracuse. He served as a local priest and was known for his contributions to the community, particularly in the realms of education and religious activities. This placement of the surname within religious and community services signifies its ingrained presence in the local society of that time.
By the 17th century, multiple members of the Zimmitti family emerge in various civic documents. Among them is Maria Zimmitti, born in 1620, who is noted for her significant dowry as recorded in a 1651 marriage contract in Modica, another town in the Ragusa province. Her dowry included extensive lands, indicating the family's wealth and influence.
In the early 18th century, Giuseppe Zimmitti, born in 1705, is mentioned in taxation records of Syracuse. These documents outline his role as a prosperous merchant, particularly in goods shipped across the Mediterranean, aligning with the merchant-class rise during this period in Sicily.
The artistic realm also features the Zimmitti name, with Francesco Zimmitti, born in 1762 in Ragusa, renowned as a sculptor. His works, primarily religious statuary, still adorn some of the baroque churches in the Ragusa province, underlining the family's contribution to cultural and artistic heritage.
The surname Zimmitti, through the centuries, reflects its roots in Sicilian society, with contributions spanning agriculture, religion, commerce, and the arts. This lineage showcases a multifaceted history, embedded deeply within Sicilian culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zimmitti
Among Census respondents with the surname Zimmitti, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Zimmitti 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 Zimmitti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zimmitti
Zimmitti 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+9 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 612 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-6 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 612 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 7,821 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 Zimmitti 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 | #136,449 | #144,270 | -5.7% |
| Count | 123 | 117 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zimmitti bearers went from 123 to 117 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 7,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #144,270.
FAQ
Zimmitti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zimmitti?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Zimmitti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Zimmitti?
Zimmitti ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Zimmitti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Zimmitti.
Has Zimmitti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zimmitti went from 123 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Zimmitti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zimmitti, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Zimmitti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zimmitti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (6.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Zimmitti (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 Zimmitti mean?
A surname of Italian origin referring to someone who plays the zither (an instrument). 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 Zimmitti (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 are called Zimmitti?
Want to know how many people have the last name Zimmitti? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.