NameCensus.

UK surname

Rizza

A surname of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word "rizzare" meaning "to raise or lift up".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Letham and Glamis, North Speyside and Carmunnock South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rizza is 132 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

2016

132 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Rizza surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rizza surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rizza surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rizza over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1901 historical 15 #32,383
1911 historical 12 #32,302
1997 modern 103 #26,498
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 110 #26,315
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 118 #25,358
2003 modern 104 #27,101
2004 modern 103 #27,503
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 112 #26,415
2007 modern 112 #26,800
2008 modern 114 #26,796
2009 modern 120 #26,496
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 121 #26,789
2012 modern 115 #27,717
2013 modern 126 #26,585
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 126 #26,654
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

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Where Rizzas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Letham and Glamis, North Speyside, Carmunnock South, Huntly and Inverness West Rural. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Letham and Glamis Angus
2 North Speyside Moray
3 Carmunnock South Glasgow City
4 Huntly Aberdeenshire
5 Inverness West Rural Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rizza

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rizza surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rizza

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rizza, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Rizza surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Rizza household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Rizza is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

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Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rizza is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rizza falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rizza is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rizza, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rizza

The surname Rizza is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the Lombardy and Veneto areas. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Rizza can be found in the historical documents of the city of Brescia, dating back to the 14th century. This suggests that the name may have originated in or around this region, which was then part of the Venetian Republic.

Linguistically, the name Rizza is thought to be a diminutive or nickname form derived from the Italian personal name Rizzardo or Riccardo, which in turn originated from the Germanic name Richard. This name was quite common in medieval Italy due to the influence of Germanic rulers and settlers.

In the 15th century, there are records of a prominent Rizza family in the city of Verona. One notable member was Giovanni Battista Rizza, a renowned painter and architect who lived from 1492 to 1548. His works can still be admired in various churches and buildings across northern Italy.

Another historical figure bearing the surname Rizza was Francesco Rizza, a 17th-century Italian composer and organist from Mantua. He is best known for his sacred works and compositions for the organ, which were highly regarded during his time.

In the 18th century, the Rizza name gained further recognition with Antonio Rizza, a celebrated sculptor from the Venetian Republic. Born in 1725 in Padua, his most notable works include the monumental statues adorning the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua and the Palazzo Ducale in Venice.

Moving into the 19th century, there was a notable Rizza family in the city of Milan. One of its members, Carlo Rizza, was a prominent lawyer and politician who played a significant role in the Italian unification movement during the Risorgimento era.

The surname Rizza can also be traced back to the town of Rizza, located in the province of Palermo, Sicily. While not directly related to the northern Italian origins of the name, this place name may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions of Italy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Rizza surname: questions and answers

How common is the Rizza surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Rizza a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Rizza surname mean?

A surname of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word "rizzare" meaning "to raise or lift up".

What does the Rizza map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rizza bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.