2000
#8,183
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,729
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Petrone
An Italian occupational surname referring to a quarryman, stonecutter, or one who worked with stone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,728 Americans carry the last name Petrone. That puts it at #9,562 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Petrone 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
3.7K
1 in 91,941
Census rank
#9,562
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,251 bearers of the surname Petrone in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9562nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Petrone, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Petrone
The surname Petrone originated in Italy, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "petra," meaning "rock" or "stone," suggesting a potential connection to individuals who lived near rocky terrain or were involved in stone-related professions.
The name Petrone can be found in historical records dating back to the 12th century, particularly in regions such as Campania, Lazio, and Calabria. One of the earliest documented instances is Iohannes Petrone, a landowner mentioned in a charter from the Abbey of Montecassino in 1187.
During the Renaissance, the Petrone family gained prominence in the city of Naples. Notable figures from this era include Girolamo Petrone (1498-1572), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Royal Court of Naples, and Fabrizio Petrone (1530-1592), a celebrated poet and member of the Accademia dei Sereni.
In the 17th century, the name Petrone appeared in various artistic and literary circles. Pietro Petrone (1617-1692) was a prominent painter from Naples, known for his religious works and portraits. Additionally, Niccolò Petrone (1639-1708) was a celebrated author and playwright from the same city, renowned for his comedic plays and satires.
Moving into the 19th century, Giuseppe Petrone (1808-1876) was an Italian politician and statesman who served as a member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy. He played a significant role in the unification of Italy and the establishment of the Italian state.
Another notable figure bearing the Petrone surname is the 20th-century Italian actor and filmmaker Riccardo Petrone (1916-1996), renowned for his work in neorealist cinema and collaborations with acclaimed directors such as Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini.
Over the centuries, variations of the name Petrone have emerged, including Petronio, Petronne, and Petruni, reflecting regional linguistic influences and spelling variations. Additionally, the surname has been associated with various place names, such as Petronio and Petronio Irpino, small towns in the regions of Lazio and Campania, respectively.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Petrone
Among Census respondents with the surname Petrone, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Petrone 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 Petrone surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,957
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 196
- Two or more races1.8% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
- Black or African American0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Petrone
Petrone 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
#8,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,854
+125 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 358 places
2020
#9,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,251
-603 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 1,021 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,183 | 3,729 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,541 | 3,854 | 1.31 | +125 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 358 places |
| 2020 | #9,562 | 3,251 | 1.09 | -603 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 1,021 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 Petrone 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 | #8,541 | #9,562 | -12.0% |
| Count | 3,854 | 3,251 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.09 | -17.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Petrone bearers went from 3,854 to 3,251 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 1,021 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,541 to #9,562.
FAQ
Petrone surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Petrone?
Name Census estimates that about 3,728 living Americans carry the surname Petrone. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,941 residents.
How common is Petrone?
Petrone ranks #9,562 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 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 3,251 people with the surname Petrone. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,728), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 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 Petrone.
Has Petrone become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Petrone went from 3,854 recorded bearers to 3,251. That is a decrease of 603 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,541 to #9,562.
What does the Census say about the background of Petrone?
Among Census respondents with the surname Petrone, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Petrone in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,957 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Petrone appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (6.0%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Petrone (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 Petrone mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a quarryman, stonecutter, or one who worked with stone. 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 Petrone (1.09 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 common is the surname Petrone?
See how many people are called Petrone on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.