2000
#43,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 468
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Danza
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "danza" meaning "dance".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 572 Americans carry the last name Danza. That puts it at #46,089 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 599,221 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Danza 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
572
1 in 599,221
Census rank
#46,089
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
499
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 499 bearers of the surname Danza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46089th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Danza, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Danza
The surname Danza is of Italian origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "danza," which means "dance." The name likely originated in areas of Italy where dance and music were prevalent cultural traditions, such as regions like Tuscany, Lazio, or Campania.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Danza can be found in historical records from the 13th century in the city of Florence, where a family bearing this name was documented. The name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who was a skilled dancer or had a connection to the art of dance.
During the Renaissance period, the Danza name appeared in various artistic and cultural contexts. For example, a renowned Italian painter named Giovanni Battista Danza, born in 1525 in Siena, was known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches in his native city.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Vincenzo Danza, born in 1592 in Naples, gained recognition as a composer and organist. His compositions for organ and sacred vocal works were widely performed and admired during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual with the surname Danza was Francesco Danza, born in 1834 in Palermo, Sicily. He was a celebrated Italian playwright and poet known for his comedic works that captured the vibrant spirit of Sicilian culture and dialect.
During the 19th century, the Danza name also made its way to the United States, as Italian immigrants settled in various parts of the country. One notable American with this surname was Tony Danza, an actor and former professional boxer born in 1951 in Brooklyn, New York, best known for his roles in television shows like "Taxi" and "Who's the Boss?"
Throughout history, the surname Danza has been associated with a rich cultural heritage, particularly in the realms of art, music, and literature. While the name may have originated as a descriptive term, it has evolved to represent a diverse array of individuals and their contributions across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Danza
Among Census respondents with the surname Danza, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Danza 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 Danza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 428
- Hispanic or Latino8.8% · 44
- Two or more races2.2% · 11
- Black or African American1.6% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Danza
Danza 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
#52,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 397
-71 bearers (-15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 8,804 places
2020
#46,089
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 499
+102 bearers (+25.7%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 6,178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,463 | 468 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,267 | 397 | 0.13 | -71 bearers (-15.2%) | Down 8,804 places |
| 2020 | #46,089 | 499 | 0.17 | +102 bearers (+25.7%) | Up 6,178 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 Danza 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 | #52,267 | #46,089 | 11.8% |
| Count | 397 | 499 | 25.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.17 | 28.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Danza bearers went from 397 to 499 (+25.7% change). The surname moved up 6,178 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,267 to #46,089.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Danza
FAQ
Danza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Danza?
Name Census estimates that about 572 living Americans carry the surname Danza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 599,221 residents.
How common is Danza?
Danza ranks #46,089 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 499 people with the surname Danza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (572), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Danza.
Has Danza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Danza went from 397 recorded bearers to 499. That is an increase of 102 (+25.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #52,267 to #46,089.
What does the Census say about the background of Danza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Danza, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Danza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (428 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Danza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Hispanic (8.8%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Danza (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 Danza mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "danza" meaning "dance". 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 Danza (0.17 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 Americans have the surname Danza?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.