2000
#62,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 298
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Sali
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a placename.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 511 Americans carry the last name Sali. That puts it at #50,632 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 670,752 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sali 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sali with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
511
1 in 670,752
Census rank
#50,632
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
446
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 446 bearers of the surname Sali in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50632nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sali, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.9%) and Black (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sali
The surname SALI is of Italian origin, and it can be traced back to the 14th century in the region of Tuscany. The name is believed to have derived from the Latin word "salire," which means "to rise" or "to ascend." This could suggest that the name was originally given to someone who lived on a hill or a high place.
One of the earliest known references to the SALI surname can be found in the records of the city of Florence, where a certain Guido Sali was mentioned in a document dated 1376. This document was a record of property ownership and transactions.
In the 15th century, the SALI family seemed to have gained prominence in the city of Siena, where they were involved in the local government and politics. One notable member was Francesco Sali, who served as a councilor in the city's administration between 1461 and 1467.
During the Renaissance period, the SALI name was also associated with the arts. Pietro Sali (1515-1592) was a renowned painter from Siena, known for his religious works and frescoes adorning various churches in the region.
The SALI surname also has a connection to the world of literature. Antonio Sali (1671-1738) was an Italian poet and playwright from Pistoia, whose works were popular during the Baroque period.
In the 19th century, the SALI name gained recognition in the field of science. Giuseppe Sali (1818-1892) was an Italian mathematician and astronomer from Pisa, who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the motion of planets.
Throughout history, the SALI surname has been found in various parts of Italy, with slight variations in spelling, such as Sali, Salie, or Salii. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain unchanged, tracing back to its Latin roots and the idea of ascension or elevation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sali
Among Census respondents with the surname Sali, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.9%) and Black (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sali 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 Sali surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.9% · 316
- Asian and Pacific Islander17.9% · 80
- Black or African American7.4% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 11
- Two or more races1.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sali
Sali 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
#61,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 329
+31 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 1,652 places
2020
#50,632
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 446
+117 bearers (+35.6%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 10,491 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,775 | 298 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #61,123 | 329 | 0.11 | +31 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 1,652 places |
| 2020 | #50,632 | 446 | 0.15 | +117 bearers (+35.6%) | Up 10,491 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 Sali 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 | #61,123 | #50,632 | 17.2% |
| Count | 329 | 446 | 35.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.15 | 35.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sali bearers went from 329 to 446 (+35.6% change). The surname moved up 10,491 positions in the national ranking, going from #61,123 to #50,632.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sali
FAQ
Sali surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sali?
Name Census estimates that about 511 living Americans carry the surname Sali. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 670,752 residents.
How common is Sali?
Sali ranks #50,632 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 446 people with the surname Sali. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (511), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Sali.
Has Sali become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sali went from 329 recorded bearers to 446. That is an increase of 117 (+35.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #61,123 to #50,632.
What does the Census say about the background of Sali?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sali, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.9%) and Black (7.4%). 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 Sali in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.9% (316 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sali appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (17.9%), Black (7.4%). 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 Sali (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 Sali mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a placename. 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 Sali (0.15 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 Sali?
Find out how common the surname Sali is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.