2000
#62,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 297
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Zolezzi
Italian surname derived from a nickname for small feet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 345 Americans carry the last name Zolezzi. That puts it at #70,147 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 993,491 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zolezzi 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
345
1 in 993,491
Census rank
#70,147
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
301
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 301 bearers of the surname Zolezzi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 70147th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zolezzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zolezzi
The surname Zolezzi originates from Italy, particularly the Liguria region. The name likely began appearing in this area during the medieval period, possibly in the early part of the 13th or 14th centuries. Liguria, known for its trade and maritime activity, would have been a hub of cultural and linguistic intermingling, offering the perfect environment for the development of distinctive surnames like Zolezzi.
Etymologically, the surname Zolezzi may derive from the Italian word "zolle," meaning clods of earth or lumps of soil. This could indicate that the original bearers of the name were agricultural workers, or perhaps owners of land. Variants of Zolezzi include Zolla, Zolli, and Zolla, all of which root back to similar meanings connected to the land and agriculture.
The name Zolezzi appears in various historical records, though it is not one of the most frequently recorded surnames. One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Zolezzi can be found in 15th-century notary documents from Genoa, a principal city in Liguria. Over time, the name spread throughout northern Italy and into neighboring regions.
A notable person with the surname Zolezzi is Giovanni Battista Zolezzi, a Genoese maritime trader born in 1608 and deceased in 1675. His extensive trade networks spanned from Italy to the ports of Northern Africa. Another significant figure is Maria Zolezzi (1823-1891), an Italian opera singer known for her powerful soprano voice that captivated audiences across Europe during the 19th century.
Further back, around the early 1700s, Nicola Zolezzi was a well-known architect in Genoa, contributing to numerous baroque architectural landmarks in the city. In more contemporary history, Carlo Zolezzi (1895-1955) made his mark as a celebrated poet and writer whose work reflected the societal changes of post-war Italy, addressing themes of resilience and renewal.
The Zolezzi surname also has a presence in South America. Patrizia Zolezzi (1950-2002), a significant figure in the academic studies of Latin American literature, is credited with extensive research on the cultural narratives of the Andean region. Her work remains influential in historical and cultural studies to this day.
The name Zolezzi carries with it a rich legacy tied to Italy’s Liguria region, signifying a heritage of agricultural roots, maritime trade, and cultural contributions across multiple periods of history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zolezzi
Among Census respondents with the surname Zolezzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zolezzi 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 Zolezzi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.8% · 198
- Hispanic or Latino27.9% · 84
- Two or more races4.0% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zolezzi
Zolezzi 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
#67,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 293
-4 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 4,357 places
2020
#70,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 301
+8 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 2,829 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,961 | 297 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #67,318 | 293 | 0.10 | -4 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 4,357 places |
| 2020 | #70,147 | 301 | 0.10 | +8 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 2,829 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 Zolezzi 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 | #67,318 | #70,147 | -4.2% |
| Count | 293 | 301 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zolezzi bearers went from 293 to 301 (+2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,829 positions in the national ranking, going from #67,318 to #70,147.
FAQ
Zolezzi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zolezzi?
Name Census estimates that about 345 living Americans carry the surname Zolezzi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 993,491 residents.
How common is Zolezzi?
Zolezzi ranks #70,147 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 301 people with the surname Zolezzi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (345), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Zolezzi.
Has Zolezzi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zolezzi went from 293 recorded bearers to 301. That is an increase of 8 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #67,318 to #70,147.
What does the Census say about the background of Zolezzi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zolezzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (27.9%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Zolezzi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.8% (198 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zolezzi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.8%), Hispanic (27.9%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Zolezzi (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 Zolezzi mean?
Italian surname derived from a nickname for small feet. 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 Zolezzi (0.10 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 Zolezzi?
See how common the surname Zolezzi is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.