2000
#12,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,229
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Pesina
A Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "place of pines" or "pine grove".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,774 Americans carry the last name Pesina. That puts it at #12,283 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,560 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pesina 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
2.8K
1 in 123,560
Census rank
#12,283
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,419 bearers of the surname Pesina in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12283rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesina, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pesina
The surname Pesina has its origins in the Italian language and is believed to have emerged in the northern regions of Italy during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Italian word "pesina," which translates to "small fish" or "small trout." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptor for someone who worked as a fisherman or lived near a body of water abundant with these small fish.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pesina surname can be found in the archives of the city of Verona, dating back to the 13th century. In these records, a certain Giacomo Pesina is mentioned as a resident of the city, although no further details about his occupation or social standing are provided.
In the 15th century, a family by the name of Pesina resided in the town of Brescia, located in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. This family's coat of arms, which featured a stylized fish, further reinforces the connection between the surname and its aquatic origins.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the Pesina surname was Girolamo Pesina (1528-1589), a renowned painter and architect from Bergamo. His works can be found in various churches and palaces throughout northern Italy, and his contributions to the artistic and architectural heritage of the region are well-documented.
Another prominent individual with the Pesina surname was Antonio Pesina (1635-1718), a Venetian historian and author who wrote extensively on the history and culture of the Venetian Republic. His book, "Historia della Repubblica di Venezia," published in 1692, is considered a seminal work on the subject.
In the 19th century, the Pesina surname gained recognition in the field of medicine with the Italian physician and anatomist, Domenico Pesina (1805-1875). He made significant contributions to the study of human anatomy and authored several influential works on the subject.
As the Pesina surname spread beyond Italy, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and the Americas. In Spain, for instance, there are records of a family named Pesina residing in the city of Barcelona in the 17th century, suggesting that the name may have been carried there by Italian immigrants or traders.
While the Pesina surname is not among the most common Italian surnames, its rich history and connection to the northern regions of Italy make it a fascinating example of how surnames can reflect the traditions, occupations, and geographic origins of families throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pesina
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesina, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pesina 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 Pesina surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.5% · 2,166
- White7.7% · 187
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- Two or more races0.6% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pesina
Pesina 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
#11,767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,662
+433 bearers (+19.4%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 954 places
2020
#12,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,419
-243 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 516 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,721 | 2,229 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,767 | 2,662 | 0.90 | +433 bearers (+19.4%) | Up 954 places |
| 2020 | #12,283 | 2,419 | 0.81 | -243 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 516 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 Pesina 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 | #11,767 | #12,283 | -4.4% |
| Count | 2,662 | 2,419 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.81 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pesina bearers went from 2,662 to 2,419 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 516 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,767 to #12,283.
FAQ
Pesina surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pesina?
Name Census estimates that about 2,774 living Americans carry the surname Pesina. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,560 residents.
How common is Pesina?
Pesina ranks #12,283 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,419 people with the surname Pesina. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,774), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pesina.
Has Pesina become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pesina went from 2,662 recorded bearers to 2,419. That is a decrease of 243 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,767 to #12,283.
What does the Census say about the background of Pesina?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pesina, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.5%. The next largest groups are White (7.7%) 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pesina in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (2,166 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pesina appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.5%), White (7.7%), 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 Pesina (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 Pesina mean?
A Spanish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "place of pines" or "pine grove". 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 Pesina (0.81 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 surname Pesina?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.