2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Piccarreto
An Italian surname likely derived from a place name meaning "little peak" or "little pointed hill".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Piccarreto. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Piccarreto 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Piccarreto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Piccarreto, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Piccarreto
The surname Piccarreto has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern region of Campania, dating back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "piccaro," meaning "trickster" or "rogue," combined with the Latin suffix "-etus," denoting a diminutive form. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with a mischievous or roguish character.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Piccarreto can be found in the historical archives of the city of Naples, where a certain Giulio Piccarreto is mentioned in a legal document from the year 1492. This document pertains to a land dispute, indicating that the Piccarreto family may have held some social standing or property in the region during that time.
In the 16th century, the name Piccarreto appears in several ecclesiastical records, suggesting that members of this family may have been involved in religious orders or held positions within the church. One notable figure was Padre Vincenzo Piccarreto, a Jesuit scholar and theologian born in Naples in 1572, who authored several treatises on theological subjects.
During the 18th century, the Piccarreto name gained prominence in the literary circles of Naples. Antonio Piccarreto (1705-1778), a celebrated poet and playwright, was renowned for his works in the Neapolitan dialect, which helped to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of the region.
Another individual of note was Gaetano Piccarreto (1789-1863), a military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a general in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. His bravery and leadership during the campaigns against the French and Austrian forces earned him several accolades and decorations.
In the late 19th century, a family by the name of Piccarreto emigrated from Italy to the United States, settling in the city of Philadelphia. One of their descendants, Maria Piccarreto (1901-1989), became a prominent figure in the Italian-American community, known for her philanthropic efforts and dedication to preserving the cultural traditions of her homeland.
Over the centuries, the Piccarreto surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Piccarretto, Piccarretti, and Piccariello, although the original form remains the most widely recognized. While the name may have originated from a seemingly playful or mischievous connotation, the Piccarreto family has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the history and culture of Italy and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Piccarreto
Among Census respondents with the surname Piccarreto, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Piccarreto 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 Piccarreto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 95
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Piccarreto
Piccarreto 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,333 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-15 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 5,333 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 12,121 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 Piccarreto 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 | #143,149 | #155,270 | -8.5% |
| Count | 116 | 101 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Piccarreto bearers went from 116 to 101 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 12,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #155,270.
FAQ
Piccarreto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Piccarreto?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Piccarreto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Piccarreto?
Piccarreto ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Piccarreto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Piccarreto.
Has Piccarreto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Piccarreto went from 116 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Piccarreto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Piccarreto, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Piccarreto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Piccarreto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Black (2.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Piccarreto (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 Piccarreto mean?
An Italian surname likely derived from a place name meaning "little peak" or "little pointed hill". 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 Piccarreto (0.03 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 Piccarreto?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.