2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pingue
A surname indicating a person of plump or stout build.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Pingue. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pingue 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Pingue in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pingue, the largest self-reported group is White at 41.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (27.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pingue
The surname Pingue originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Lombardy, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "pinguis," which means "fat" or "plump." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who had a stout or robust physique.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pingue can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of historical documents from the Lombard Kingdom, dating back to the 8th century. In this collection, a person named "Pingin" is mentioned, which is likely a variation of the surname Pingue.
During the 12th century, the surname Pingue appears in various medieval records from the cities of Milan and Bergamo, which were part of the Duchy of Milan at the time. For example, a nobleman named Guglielmo Pingue is mentioned in a document from 1187, relating to a land dispute in the area around Milan.
In the 13th century, the surname Pingue is associated with a notable figure named Giacomo Pingue, who was a prominent merchant and banker in the city of Genoa. He is credited with establishing trade routes between Genoa and the Byzantine Empire, contributing to the city's economic prosperity.
Another individual of note bearing the surname Pingue was Tommaso Pingue, a Renaissance scholar and humanist who lived in the 15th century. Born in Siena in 1435, he was renowned for his expertise in classical literature and philosophy. Tommaso Pingue taught at universities in Florence and Rome and was a member of the prestigious Accademia Platonica.
In the 16th century, the surname Pingue is linked to a place name in the region of Lombardy. The town of Pingue, located near the city of Bergamo, was named after the Pingue family, who were landowners and influential figures in the area during that period.
Throughout history, the surname Pingue has been subject to various spellings and variations, such as Pingui, Pinguelli, and Pinguetti, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic variations within Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pingue
Among Census respondents with the surname Pingue, the largest self-reported group is White at 41.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (27.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pingue 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 Pingue surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White41.7% · 50
- Black or African American27.5% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander27.5% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pingue
Pingue appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 59 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 Pingue 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 | #142,108 | #142,049 | 0.0% |
| Count | 117 | 120 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pingue bearers went from 117 to 120 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #142,049.
FAQ
Pingue surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pingue?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Pingue. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Pingue?
Pingue ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Pingue. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Pingue.
Has Pingue become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pingue went from 117 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Pingue?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pingue, the largest self-reported group is White at 41.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (27.5%). 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 Pingue in the 2020 Census, accounting for 41.7% (50 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pingue appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (41.7%), Black (27.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (27.5%). 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 Pingue (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 Pingue mean?
A surname indicating a person of plump or stout build. 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 Pingue (0.04 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 Pingue?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.