2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Panettiere
An Italian surname derived from the word "panettiere", meaning "baker".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Panettiere. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Panettiere 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Panettiere in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Panettiere, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Panettiere
The surname Panettiere originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. It is believed to have first appeared around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "panettiere," which means "baker" or "bread maker."
In medieval times, the surname Panettiere was likely used as a descriptive name for individuals who worked as bakers or were involved in the production of bread. It was not uncommon for surnames to be based on occupations during this period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Panettiere can be found in a document from the city of Naples, dated 1274. The document mentions a man named Giovanni Panettiere, who was a baker in the city.
Another early reference to the surname Panettiere is found in a manuscript from the town of Reggio Calabria, dating back to 1318. The manuscript records a land transaction involving a man named Filippo Panettiere.
Throughout the centuries, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Panettiere. In the 15th century, a painter named Antonio Panettiere was active in the city of Palermo, Sicily. His works can still be seen in churches and museums across the region.
In the 17th century, a playwright and poet named Giovanni Battista Panettiere was born in Naples. He is best known for his works in the Neapolitan dialect, which helped preserve and promote the local language and culture.
During the 19th century, a lawyer and politician named Raffaele Panettiere served as a deputy in the Italian parliament, representing the city of Reggio Calabria from 1861 to 1865.
Another prominent figure with the surname Panettiere was Giuseppe Panettiere, a renowned sculptor who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in the town of Grottaminarda, in the Campania region, and his works can be found in various churches and public spaces throughout Italy.
In more recent times, the American actress Hayden Panettiere, born in 1989, has brought further recognition to the surname. Her family roots can be traced back to Italy, specifically to the regions where the name Panettiere originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Panettiere
Among Census respondents with the surname Panettiere, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Panettiere 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 Panettiere surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 8
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Panettiere
Panettiere 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-9 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,048 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 16,048 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,600 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 Panettiere 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 | #140,157 | #145,757 | -4.0% |
| Count | 119 | 115 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Panettiere bearers went from 119 to 115 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #145,757.
FAQ
Panettiere surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Panettiere?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Panettiere. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Panettiere?
Panettiere ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Panettiere. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Panettiere.
Has Panettiere become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Panettiere went from 119 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Panettiere?
Among Census respondents with the surname Panettiere, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Panettiere in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Panettiere appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Panettiere (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 Panettiere mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "panettiere", meaning "baker". 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 Panettiere (0.04 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 have the last name Panettiere?
You can see how many people are called Panettiere on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.