2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pecunia
A surname derived from the Latin word meaning "money" or "wealth".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Pecunia. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pecunia 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Pecunia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pecunia, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (45.5%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pecunia
The surname PECUNIA has its origins in ancient Rome, deriving from the Latin word "pecunia," which means "money" or "property." It is believed to have originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who worked with money, such as a moneylender, banker, or tax collector.
In the early days of Rome, the PECUNIA name was associated with the wealthy and influential class, as they were often involved in financial dealings and the management of wealth. This connection to money and prosperity may have contributed to the name's endurance over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the PECUNIA name can be found in ancient Roman inscriptions and documents dating back to the 1st century AD. These records provide glimpses into the lives of individuals bearing this name, often mentioning their occupations or positions within Roman society.
During the Middle Ages, the PECUNIA name began to spread across Europe, particularly in regions with strong Roman influence, such as Italy, Spain, and France. In these areas, the name underwent various spellings and adaptations, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the time.
Notable individuals with the PECUNIA surname include Gaius Pecunius Maximus, a Roman statesman and consul in the 2nd century AD, renowned for his wealth and political influence. Another prominent figure was Lucius Pecunius Severus, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the 3rd century AD and was known for his philanthropic endeavors.
In the 12th century, a record from the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror, mentions a landowner named William PECUNIA, whose holdings were located in the county of Somerset.
During the Renaissance period, the PECUNIA name gained further prominence with the rise of banking and trade. One notable figure was Giovanni Pecunia, an Italian banker and financier from Florence, who lived in the 15th century and played a significant role in the economic and cultural development of the city.
Throughout the centuries, the PECUNIA name has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, bankers, scholars, and artists. Some examples include Antonio Pecunia, a Spanish painter from the 16th century known for his religious works, and Maria Pecunia, an Italian composer and musician who lived in the 17th century and contributed to the development of early Baroque music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pecunia
Among Census respondents with the surname Pecunia, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (45.5%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pecunia 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 Pecunia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.9% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino45.5% · 51
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pecunia
Pecunia 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
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,814 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 6,814 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 Pecunia 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 | #141,140 | #147,954 | -4.8% |
| Count | 118 | 112 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pecunia bearers went from 118 to 112 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 6,814 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,954.
FAQ
Pecunia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pecunia?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Pecunia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Pecunia?
Pecunia ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Pecunia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Pecunia.
Has Pecunia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pecunia went from 118 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Pecunia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pecunia, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (45.5%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Pecunia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.9% (57 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pecunia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.9%), Hispanic (45.5%), Black (1.8%). 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 Pecunia (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 Pecunia mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word meaning "money" or "wealth". 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 Pecunia (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 Pecunia?
See how many Americans have the surname Pecunia on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.