Explore the Family Name Balistreri

The meaning of Balistreri

Italian (Sicily): occupational name from Sicilian balistreri ‘crossbowman, crossbow maker’. Compare Balestrieri. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Salvatore, Angelo, Antonio, Franco, Gaetano, Pietro, Antonino, Carlo, Caesar, Marcello, Natale, Vincenzo.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Balistreri in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Balistreri has seen minor fluctuations in its popularity over the years. In 2000, it held a rank of 18,542 which slightly slipped to 18,867 in 2010, indicating a decrease in its prevalence by 1.75%. However, despite the dip in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Balistreri surname increased from 1,373 in 2000 to 1,449 in 2010, marking an increase of 5.54%. The proportion of this surname per 100,000 people decreased slightly by 3.92%, going from 0.51 in 2000 to 0.49 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#18,542#18,867-1.75%
Count1,3731,4495.54%
Proportion per 100k0.510.49-3.92%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Balistreri

Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals interesting changes for the Balistreri surname between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of individuals identifying as Balistreri were White (93.10% in 2010, down from 94.46% in 2000), there were noticeable shifts within other ethnic identities. The most significant change was seen among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, where numbers spiked significantly from 0.44% in 2000 to 1.17% in 2010, a dramatic increase of 165.91%. Individuals claiming two or more races also increased from 1.02% to 1.31%, while those identifying as Hispanic rose from 3.50% to 4.14%. There were no individuals with the Balistreri surname who identified as Black in either census year, and the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native dropped to zero in 2010.

20002010Change
White94.46%93.1%-1.44%
Hispanic3.5%4.14%18.29%
Two or More Races1.02%1.31%28.43%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.44%1.17%165.91%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.58%0%0%