2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pennello
A surname of Italian origin meaning "brush" or "paintbrush", typically an occupational name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Pennello. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pennello 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Pennello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pennello, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pennello
The surname Pennello originated in Italy and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Italian word "pennello," meaning a small brush used for painting or applying makeup. The name likely referred to an ancestor's occupation as a painter or someone who worked with brushes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pennello can be found in a document from the city of Florence, dated 1284. It mentions a certain Giacomo Pennello, who was a member of the local painters' guild. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during that time.
In the 15th century, records show a Bernardo Pennello residing in the town of Siena. He was a respected artist known for his frescoes adorning various churches in the area. His works can still be admired to this day, showcasing the talent that might have given rise to his surname.
The name Pennello also appears in historical documents from the city of Naples in the 16th century. A notable figure was Giovanni Battista Pennello, born in 1542, who served as a court painter to the Spanish viceroy of Naples. His portraits of nobility and religious figures were highly regarded during his lifetime.
Moving into the 17th century, the Pennello name gained prominence in the Venetian Republic. Marco Pennello, born in 1612, was a renowned painter who specialized in landscapes and seascapes. His works were widely sought after by wealthy patrons across Europe.
Another notable individual was Antonio Pennello, born in 1678 in the town of Rimini. He was a skilled fresco painter and was commissioned to decorate several churches and palaces in his native region. His masterpiece is considered to be the grand fresco adorning the ceiling of the Basilica di San Mercuriale in Forlì.
Throughout history, the surname Pennello has been associated with artistic talent, particularly in the field of painting. Its roots can be traced back to the medieval era in Italy, and it has maintained a strong presence in various regions of the country over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pennello
Among Census respondents with the surname Pennello, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pennello 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 Pennello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 101
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pennello
Pennello 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-8 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,675 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+12 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,937 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 18,675 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 11,937 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 Pennello 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 | #146,495 | 7.5% |
| Count | 102 | 114 | 11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pennello bearers went from 102 to 114 (+11.8% change). The surname moved up 11,937 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #146,495.
FAQ
Pennello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pennello?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Pennello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Pennello?
Pennello ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Pennello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Pennello.
Has Pennello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pennello went from 102 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 12 (+11.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Pennello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pennello, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Pennello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pennello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Pennello (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 Pennello mean?
A surname of Italian origin meaning "brush" or "paintbrush", typically an occupational name. 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 Pennello (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 Pennello?
Want to know how many people have the surname Pennello? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.