2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pesano
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "peso" meaning weight or scales, implying an occupation related to weights or measuring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Pesano. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pesano 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Pesano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesano, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pesano
The surname Pesano originated in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "pesano," which means "from Pesaro," referring to the city of Pesaro located in the province of Pesaro and Urbino.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pesano can be found in a document from the 13th century, where a certain Guglielmo Pesano was mentioned as a resident of the city of Pesaro. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and had been adopted by families living in or near the city.
In the 14th century, the Pesano family was known to have held positions of importance in the city of Pesaro. Records show that a member of the family, Pietro Pesano, served as a magistrate in the city's government during this period.
During the Renaissance era, the Pesano name gained further prominence. In the 15th century, a renowned artist named Giovanni Pesano was active in Pesaro and is credited with creating several notable works of art, including frescoes and altarpieces for local churches.
In the 16th century, another notable figure with the surname Pesano was Girolamo Pesano, a scholar and poet who was born in Pesaro in 1528. His works were widely celebrated during his lifetime, and he was recognized as a leading figure in the literary circles of the time.
Moving forward to the 17th century, the Pesano family continued to play a role in the cultural and political life of Pesaro. One notable figure from this period was Carlo Pesano, who served as the mayor of Pesaro from 1675 to 1679.
In the 18th century, the Pesano name gained international recognition through the work of Niccolò Pesano, a renowned architect who was born in Pesaro in 1732. Pesano was commissioned to design several important buildings in various cities across Europe, including the Palazzo Reale in Naples and the Palacio Real de Aranjuez in Spain.
As the Pesano surname spread beyond its original homeland, it was also adopted by families in other regions of Italy and eventually made its way to other parts of the world through emigration. However, the name's roots can be traced back to the city of Pesaro and its surrounding areas in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pesano
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesano, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pesano 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 Pesano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pesano
Pesano 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,539 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,539 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,986 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 Pesano 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 | #160,975 | #152,989 | 5.0% |
| Count | 100 | 105 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pesano bearers went from 100 to 105 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #152,989.
FAQ
Pesano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pesano?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Pesano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Pesano?
Pesano ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Pesano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Pesano.
Has Pesano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pesano went from 100 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Pesano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesano, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Pesano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pesano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Hispanic (9.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Pesano (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 Pesano mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "peso" meaning weight or scales, implying an occupation related to weights or measuring. 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 Pesano (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 Americans have the surname Pesano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.