2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pietroforte
An Italian surname derived from the words "pietra" (stone) and "forte" (strong or powerful).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Pietroforte. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pietroforte 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Pietroforte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pietroforte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pietroforte
The surname Pietroforte has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Campania and Puglia, where it was likely derived from a combination of the Italian words "pietro" (meaning stone or rock) and "forte" (meaning strong or fortified).
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pietroforte can be found in the historical records of the town of Ariano Irpino, in the province of Avellino, Campania. These records date back to the 13th century and mention a family bearing the surname Pietroforte.
The name Pietroforte may also have been influenced by the presence of fortified structures or castles in the areas where it originated. It is possible that the name was initially given to individuals who lived near or worked in such fortified structures, which were commonly built using stone.
In the 14th century, a notable member of the Pietroforte family was Girolamo Pietroforte, a renowned scholar and philosopher who taught at the University of Naples. He was born in Bari, Puglia, in 1320 and lived until 1388.
During the Renaissance period, the Pietroforte family gained prominence in the city of Naples. One of the most famous members of the family was Antonio Pietroforte (1490-1568), a renowned architect who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in Naples, including the Palazzo dello Spagnolo.
In the 17th century, the Pietroforte family had a presence in the Kingdom of Sicily, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable figure from this period was Vincenzo Pietroforte (1612-1679), a successful merchant who established trade routes between Sicily and other Mediterranean ports.
Over the centuries, the Pietroforte surname has also been associated with several notable Italian artists and intellectuals. These include the painter Giuseppe Pietroforte (1787-1854), who was known for his landscapes and portraits, and the philosopher and writer Ernesto Pietroforte (1876-1942), who was born in Naples and wrote extensively on topics related to ethics and social justice.
While the surname Pietroforte is not among the most common surnames in Italy today, it continues to be present in various regions of the country, particularly in the southern regions of Campania and Puglia, where it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pietroforte
Among Census respondents with the surname Pietroforte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pietroforte 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 Pietroforte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pietroforte
Pietroforte 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-9 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,070 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 19,070 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 152 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 Pietroforte 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 | #154,907 | #154,755 | 0.1% |
| Count | 105 | 102 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pietroforte bearers went from 105 to 102 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,755.
FAQ
Pietroforte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pietroforte?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Pietroforte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Pietroforte?
Pietroforte ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Pietroforte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Pietroforte.
Has Pietroforte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pietroforte went from 105 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Pietroforte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pietroforte, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Pietroforte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pietroforte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Pietroforte (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 Pietroforte mean?
An Italian surname derived from the words "pietra" (stone) and "forte" (strong or powerful). 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 Pietroforte (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 common is the surname Pietroforte?
Want to know how many people have the last name Pietroforte? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.