Not counting anyone who watched The Sopranos, or far-removed descendents of Italian immigrants in New Jersey whose extensive knowledge of the Italian language is limited to food, such as Gabaghool, Mutzadel, dropping the occasional, ‘Madawn [oh, Madonna]”, speaking Italian is still a big thing in the Garden State.
Italian remains one of New Jersey’s most significant non-English languages, with estimates ranging from about 48,000 to more than 116,000 speakers depending on the source and year. While recent NJ.com data places the number closer to 48,500 speakers statewide, older census figures once recorded over 116,000—reflecting the state’s deep Italian-American heritage and its enduring cultural influence.
