2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Pantoliano
A surname derived from the Italian word "pane" meaning bread or bread maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Pantoliano. 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 Pantoliano 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 Pantoliano 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 Pantoliano, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pantoliano
The surname Pantoliano originates from Italy, more specifically from the regions of Campania and Lazio. It is believed to have its roots dating back to the 15th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "pantano," meaning "swamp" or "marshy area."
It is possible that the name was originally used as a toponymic surname, referring to individuals who lived in or near a swampy region. Variations in spelling found in historical records include Pantoliano, Pantoliani, and Pantoliana.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Pantoliano can be found in a document from the city of Naples, dated 1487, where a certain Giovanni Pantoliano is listed as a landowner. Another notable early reference comes from a tax record in the town of Gaeta, dated 1521, which includes the name Pantoliana.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Francesco Pantoliano (1624-1698) was a renowned sculptor and architect from Naples. His works can still be admired in various churches and palaces across southern Italy.
During the 19th century, a prominent Pantoliano was Giuseppe Pantoliano (1832-1912), a lawyer and politician from the town of Caserta. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was known for his advocacy of workers' rights.
Another notable individual was Maria Pantoliano (1887-1964), a writer and poet from Rome. Her collection of poems, titled "Canti del Pantano" (Songs of the Swamp), was widely acclaimed and reflected her deep connection to her family's roots in the marshy regions of Lazio.
In the 20th century, one of the most famous bearers of the name was Antonio Pantoliano (1919-2003), a renowned chef and restaurateur from Naples. His restaurant, Trattoria Pantoliano, was a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, known for its authentic Neapolitan cuisine.
While the name Pantoliano is not among the most common surnames in Italy today, it has a rich historical legacy, with its roots deeply intertwined with the swampy landscapes of southern Italy and the diverse contributions of its bearers across various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pantoliano
Among Census respondents with the surname Pantoliano, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pantoliano 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 Pantoliano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.4% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino17.3% · 19
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pantoliano
Pantoliano 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
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 10,266 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 Pantoliano 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 | #159,712 | #149,446 | 6.4% |
| Count | 101 | 110 | 8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pantoliano bearers went from 101 to 110 (+8.9% change). The surname moved up 10,266 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #149,446.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pantoliano
FAQ
Pantoliano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pantoliano?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Pantoliano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Pantoliano?
Pantoliano 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 Pantoliano. 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 Pantoliano.
Has Pantoliano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pantoliano went from 101 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 9 (+8.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Pantoliano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pantoliano, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.3%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Pantoliano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.4% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pantoliano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.4%), Hispanic (17.3%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Pantoliano (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 Pantoliano mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "pane" meaning bread or bread maker. 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 Pantoliano (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 Pantoliano?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Pantoliano on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.