2000
#46,944
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 426
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Pesci
A surname derived from the Italian word meaning "fish".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 530 Americans carry the last name Pesci. That puts it at #49,237 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 646,706 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pesci 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
530
1 in 646,706
Census rank
#49,237
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
462
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 462 bearers of the surname Pesci in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49237th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesci, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pesci
The surname Pesci has its origins in Italy, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "pesce," meaning "fish." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who was a fisherman or lived near a body of water where fishing was a common occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pesci can be found in the records of the city of Genoa, where a family by the name of Pesci is mentioned in a document from the year 1275. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
In the 14th century, the name appears in several historical records from the city of Florence. One notable mention is in the archives of the Basilica di Santa Croce, where a certain Giovanni di Pesci is listed as a donor to the church in the year 1348.
As the centuries passed, the Pesci name spread to other parts of Italy, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in different regions. In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Giacomo Pesci (1523-1587) was a renowned painter from the city of Treviso, known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout the Veneto region.
Another notable individual with the surname Pesci was Benedetto Pesci (1675-1744), a Baroque architect from Rome who was responsible for the design of several churches and palaces in the city, including the Church of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini.
In the 19th century, a politician named Ugo Pesci (1833-1904) made his mark as a member of the Italian parliament and a vocal supporter of the unification of Italy. He was also a prolific writer and journalist, contributing to various publications throughout his career.
During the 20th century, the name Pesci gained international recognition through the actor Joe Pesci (born 1943), best known for his roles in films such as "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas," and "Casino." His portrayal of gritty and memorable characters has cemented his place in cinematic history.
While the origins of the Pesci surname can be traced back to medieval Italy, it has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, architects, politicians, and entertainers, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of Italy and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pesci
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesci, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pesci 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 Pesci surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 440
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 4
- Two or more races0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pesci
Pesci 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
#53,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 384
-42 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 6,858 places
2020
#49,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 462
+78 bearers (+20.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 4,565 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,944 | 426 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,802 | 384 | 0.13 | -42 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 6,858 places |
| 2020 | #49,237 | 462 | 0.15 | +78 bearers (+20.3%) | Up 4,565 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 Pesci 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 | #53,802 | #49,237 | 8.5% |
| Count | 384 | 462 | 20.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.15 | 18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pesci bearers went from 384 to 462 (+20.3% change). The surname moved up 4,565 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,802 to #49,237.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pesci
FAQ
Pesci surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pesci?
Name Census estimates that about 530 living Americans carry the surname Pesci. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 646,706 residents.
How common is Pesci?
Pesci ranks #49,237 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 462 people with the surname Pesci. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (530), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Pesci.
Has Pesci become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pesci went from 384 recorded bearers to 462. That is an increase of 78 (+20.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,802 to #49,237.
What does the Census say about the background of Pesci?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesci, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Pesci in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (440 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pesci appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Hispanic (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Pesci (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 Pesci mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word meaning "fish". 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 Pesci (0.15 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 share the surname Pesci?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.