Find out how popular the last name Pesce is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pesce.

Pesce, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pesce surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pesce in America

Pesce is the 11174th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pesce surname appeared 2,830 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pesce.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pesce to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pesce

The surname PESCE has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "pesce," which means "fish." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name for someone who worked as a fisherman or a fish monger.

During the Middle Ages, many Italian surnames emerged from occupations, physical characteristics, or place names. The PESCE surname likely originated in coastal regions of Italy, where fishing was a common trade and livelihood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the PESCE surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. This suggests that the name has a long history and was established in various parts of the Italian peninsula by the early medieval era.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the PESCE surname was Galeazzo Pesce, a Genoese merchant and explorer who is credited with introducing the art of silk production to the city of Genoa. His travels and contributions to the silk trade helped establish Genoa as a center for silk manufacturing in the late Middle Ages.

Another prominent individual with the PESCE surname was Nicolò Pesce, a Venetian diplomat and ambassador who lived in the 15th century. He served as the ambassador of the Republic of Venice to the court of Pope Sixtus IV and played a crucial role in negotiating treaties and maintaining diplomatic relations between Venice and the Papal States.

In the 16th century, Giacomo Pesce was a renowned Italian architect and engineer who worked on various fortifications and architectural projects in the city of Siena. His most notable work is the Fortezza Medicea, a Renaissance-era fortress designed to defend the city.

During the 17th century, Francesco Pesce was a celebrated Italian painter and fresco artist. He was actively commissioned by churches and noble families in Rome and Naples to create religious artworks and decorative frescoes, contributing significantly to the Italian Baroque art movement.

In the 18th century, Giambattista Pesce was a prominent Italian jurist and legal scholar. He served as a judge and authored several influential treatises on civil law, which were widely studied and referenced in legal circles across Italy.

Throughout its history, the PESCE surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing this name across different regions of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pesce

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pesce.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pesce was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pesce has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pesce was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pesce, please contact us.

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