2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Panizza
Italian surname derived from the Italian word "pane" meaning bread, originally describing a baker or someone connected with the bread trade.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Panizza. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Panizza 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Panizza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Panizza, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Panizza
The surname Panizza originated in Italy, with records dating back to the 16th century. It likely derived from the Latin word "panis," meaning "bread," suggesting that the name's bearers were bakers or associated with the production of bread. The name is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Milan and Bergamo.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Panizza can be found in the Estimo della città e ducato di Milano, a census conducted in Milan in the late 16th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname Panizza, indicating that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
During the Renaissance period, the Panizza family gained prominence in the city of Bergamo. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Giovan Battista Panizza (1552-1619) was a respected lawyer and jurist who served as a judge in the city's legal system. His contributions to the local judicial system and his writings on legal matters earned him recognition among his contemporaries.
Another prominent individual with the surname Panizza was Francesco Panizza (1618-1694), a renowned architect from Milan. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings in the city, including the Church of San Fedele and the Palazzo Litta. His architectural works exemplified the Baroque style prevalent during that era.
In the 19th century, the Panizza family produced a renowned musician, Giacomo Panizza (1804-1879). Born in Bergamo, he became a renowned composer and conductor, known for his operas and instrumental works. His compositions were widely performed across Italy and gained him recognition as a significant figure in the Italian Romantic music movement.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Panizza was Ettore Panizza (1875-1967), a prominent Italian philosopher and academic. He taught at various universities in Italy and made significant contributions to the fields of aesthetics and the philosophy of art. His writings and lectures explored the connections between art, beauty, and human experience.
As the Panizza name spread throughout Italy, it also found its way into other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by Italian emigrants and their descendants. However, the name's origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the northern Italian regions, particularly in the areas around Milan and Bergamo, where the Panizza family left an indelible mark on the cultural, legal, and artistic landscapes of their time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Panizza
Among Census respondents with the surname Panizza, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Panizza 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 Panizza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.5% · 72
- Hispanic or Latino32.7% · 36
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Panizza
Panizza appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 8,986 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 Panizza 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 | #158,432 | #149,446 | 5.7% |
| Count | 102 | 110 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Panizza bearers went from 102 to 110 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 8,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #149,446.
FAQ
Panizza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Panizza?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Panizza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Panizza?
Panizza ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Panizza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Panizza.
Has Panizza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Panizza went from 102 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 8 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Panizza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Panizza, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (32.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Panizza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.5% (72 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Panizza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.5%), Hispanic (32.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Panizza (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 Panizza mean?
Italian surname derived from the Italian word "pane" meaning bread, originally describing a baker or someone connected with the bread trade. 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 Panizza (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 are called Panizza?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Panizza at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.