2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Peluffo
An Italian surname potentially derived from the Italian word "pelufo" meaning hairy or fuzzy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Peluffo. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peluffo 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
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Peluffo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peluffo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 68.9%. The next largest groups are White (27.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peluffo
The surname Peluffo has its origins in the Italian region of Liguria, dating back to the 16th century. It likely derives from the Latin word "pellis," meaning skin or fur, suggesting a connection to the leather or fur trade, or perhaps a nickname for someone with a hairy or furry appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 1542 census records of Genoa, where a family by the name of Peluffo is listed as residents of the city. This suggests that the name was well-established in the area by the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various church records and legal documents from the villages surrounding Genoa, such as Recco, Camogli, and Rapallo. This indicates that the Peluffo family had spread throughout the coastal regions of Liguria by this time.
One notable individual bearing the surname was Giovanni Battista Peluffo, a renowned architect and engineer from Genoa who lived between 1628 and 1698. He was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the city, including the Church of San Siro and the Palazzo Grimaldi.
Another notable figure was Tommaso Peluffo, a merchant and ship owner from Camogli who was active in the late 18th century. He was involved in the thriving maritime trade between Liguria and other Mediterranean ports, and his fleet of ships carried goods throughout the region.
In the 19th century, the Peluffo surname can be found in records from various parts of Italy, suggesting that members of the family had migrated to other regions over time. One such individual was Giuseppe Peluffo, a painter from Naples who lived from 1823 to 1892 and was known for his landscapes and seascapes.
As the Peluffo family spread beyond Italy, the name also appeared in other parts of Europe and the Americas. For example, in the late 19th century, a family by the name of Peluffo settled in Argentina, where they established themselves in the city of Buenos Aires.
While the Peluffo surname may not be as widely known as some other Italian surnames, it has a rich history that can be traced back to its origins in the coastal regions of Liguria. The name's connection to the leather and fur trade, as well as its appearance in historical records and the lives of notable individuals, make it a fascinating part of the tapestry of Italian family names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peluffo
Among Census respondents with the surname Peluffo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 68.9%. The next largest groups are White (27.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Peluffo 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 Peluffo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino68.9% · 84
- White27.9% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peluffo
Peluffo 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
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+16 bearers (+15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.1%) | Up 13,244 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 Peluffo 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 | #153,769 | #140,525 | 8.6% |
| Count | 106 | 122 | 15.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peluffo bearers went from 106 to 122 (+15.1% change). The surname moved up 13,244 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #140,525.
FAQ
Peluffo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peluffo?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Peluffo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Peluffo?
Peluffo ranks #140,525 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 122 people with the surname Peluffo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), 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 Peluffo.
Has Peluffo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peluffo went from 106 recorded bearers to 122. That is an increase of 16 (+15.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Peluffo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peluffo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 68.9%. The next largest groups are White (27.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Peluffo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.9% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peluffo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (68.9%), White (27.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%). 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 Peluffo (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 Peluffo mean?
An Italian surname potentially derived from the Italian word "pelufo" meaning hairy or fuzzy. 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 Peluffo (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 Peluffo?
Find out how many people have the last name Peluffo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.