2000
#63,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 296
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Pignotti
Italian surname derived from the noun "pignatta" meaning earthenware pot or dish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 327 Americans carry the last name Pignotti. That puts it at #73,330 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,048,178 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pignotti 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
327
1 in 1,048,178
Census rank
#73,330
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
285
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 285 bearers of the surname Pignotti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73330th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pignotti, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pignotti
The surname Pignotti originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "pigna," meaning "pine cone." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near a pine forest or was associated with the pine trade in some way.
The earliest recorded instances of the Pignotti name can be found in documents from the 13th century in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Jacopo Pignotti, a merchant from Florence who was mentioned in a trade record from 1287.
In the 14th century, the Pignotti family gained prominence in the city of Prato, near Florence. Giovanni Pignotti, born in 1320, was a respected lawyer and served as a judge in the city's court system. His son, Filippo Pignotti (1355-1432), was a successful banker and helped finance several important construction projects in Prato.
The name Pignotti can also be found in historical records from the nearby city of Bologna. In the 15th century, a branch of the family settled in Bologna, and they are mentioned in various legal documents and property records. One notable figure from this branch was Lorenzo Pignotti (1472-1546), a renowned physician who wrote several influential treatises on medical practices.
In the 16th century, the Pignotti name gained further recognition with the birth of Lorenzo Pignotti (1539-1604), a renowned poet and scholar from Arezzo. His works, which included lyric poetry and historical writings, were widely admired during his lifetime and helped establish the Pignotti name as one associated with intellectual and artistic pursuits.
Another significant figure in the history of the Pignotti surname was Stefano Pignotti (1671-1745), a celebrated architect from Florence. He designed several notable buildings in his hometown, including the Chiesa di Santa Maria Nuova and the Palazzo Pitti. His architectural style, which blended classical and baroque elements, had a lasting influence on the cityscape of Florence.
While the Pignotti name has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above demonstrate the surname's rich heritage and longstanding presence in various regions of Italy, dating back to the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pignotti
Among Census respondents with the surname Pignotti, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Pignotti 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 Pignotti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 239
- Hispanic or Latino8.8% · 25
- Two or more races5.3% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pignotti
Pignotti 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
#66,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 296
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 3,613 places
2020
#73,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 285
-11 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 6,576 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #63,141 | 296 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #66,754 | 296 | 0.10 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,613 places |
| 2020 | #73,330 | 285 | 0.10 | -11 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 6,576 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 Pignotti 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 | #66,754 | #73,330 | -9.9% |
| Count | 296 | 285 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pignotti bearers went from 296 to 285 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 6,576 positions in the national ranking, going from #66,754 to #73,330.
FAQ
Pignotti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pignotti?
Name Census estimates that about 327 living Americans carry the surname Pignotti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,048,178 residents.
How common is Pignotti?
Pignotti ranks #73,330 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 285 people with the surname Pignotti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (327), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Pignotti.
Has Pignotti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pignotti went from 296 recorded bearers to 285. That is a decrease of 11 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #66,754 to #73,330.
What does the Census say about the background of Pignotti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pignotti, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Pignotti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (239 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pignotti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Hispanic (8.8%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Pignotti (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 Pignotti mean?
Italian surname derived from the noun "pignatta" meaning earthenware pot or dish. 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 Pignotti (0.10 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 share the surname Pignotti?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.