2000
#97,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 173
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Pignatiello
A habitational surname derived from an Italian place name meaning "small earthenware pot".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 230 Americans carry the last name Pignatiello. That puts it at #96,965 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,490,236 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pignatiello 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
230
1 in 1,490,236
Census rank
#96,965
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
201
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 201 bearers of the surname Pignatiello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 96965th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pignatiello, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pignatiello
The surname Pignatiello is an Italian name that originated in the regions of Campania and Basilicata in southern Italy. It is derived from the Italian word "pignata," which means "earthenware pot." This suggests that the name may have originated from an occupation or trade related to the production or sale of earthenware pots.
The earliest known record of the name Pignatiello can be traced back to the 16th century in the town of Ariano Irpino, in the province of Avellino, Campania. In 1568, a man named Giovanni Pignatiello was listed in the town's tax records as a potter by trade. This provides evidence that the name was indeed associated with the pottery profession.
In the 17th century, the name Pignatiello appeared in several historical records in the nearby town of Montecalvo Irpino. One notable individual was Francesco Pignatiello, a local landowner and farmer born in 1632. His descendants continued to live in the area for several generations.
As the name spread throughout southern Italy, variations in spelling emerged, such as Pignatelli, Pignatello, and Pignataro. These variants likely arose from different regional dialects and local pronunciations of the name.
One of the earliest known instances of the name Pignatiello outside of Italy was in the late 18th century, when a man named Giuseppe Pignatiello emigrated from Naples to New York City. He established a pottery workshop and became a successful businessman, helping to introduce the name to the United States.
Other notable individuals with the surname Pignatiello include:
1. Antonio Pignatiello (1859-1932), an Italian painter and sculptor from Naples known for his religious artwork.
2. Maria Pignatiello (1892-1976), an Italian-American author and journalist who wrote extensively about the Italian immigrant experience in the United States.
3. Raffaele Pignatiello (1905-1987), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament from 1948 to 1972.
4. Vincenzo Pignatiello (1921-2003), an Italian actor and filmmaker who appeared in several Italian neorealist films in the 1950s and 1960s.
5. Giulia Pignatiello (born 1989), an Italian professional swimmer and Olympic medalist who won a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
While the name Pignatiello has its roots in the pottery trade of southern Italy, it has since become a surname with a rich history spanning centuries and continents. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, politicians, and athletes, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bear this distinctive Italian surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pignatiello
Among Census respondents with the surname Pignatiello, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pignatiello 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 Pignatiello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 194
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pignatiello
Pignatiello 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
#92,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 198
+25 bearers (+14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 4,665 places
2020
#96,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 201
+3 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 4,246 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #97,384 | 173 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #92,719 | 198 | 0.07 | +25 bearers (+14.5%) | Up 4,665 places |
| 2020 | #96,965 | 201 | 0.07 | +3 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 4,246 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 Pignatiello 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 | #92,719 | #96,965 | -4.6% |
| Count | 198 | 201 | 1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pignatiello bearers went from 198 to 201 (+1.5% change). The surname moved down 4,246 positions in the national ranking, going from #92,719 to #96,965.
FAQ
Pignatiello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pignatiello?
Name Census estimates that about 230 living Americans carry the surname Pignatiello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,490,236 residents.
How common is Pignatiello?
Pignatiello ranks #96,965 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 201 people with the surname Pignatiello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (230), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Pignatiello.
Has Pignatiello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pignatiello went from 198 recorded bearers to 201. That is an increase of 3 (+1.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #92,719 to #96,965.
What does the Census say about the background of Pignatiello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pignatiello, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Pignatiello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (194 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pignatiello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Hispanic (1.5%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Pignatiello (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 Pignatiello mean?
A habitational surname derived from an Italian place name meaning "small earthenware pot". 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 Pignatiello (0.07 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 Pignatiello?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.