Find out how popular the last name Pira is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pira.

Pira, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pira surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pira in America

Pira is the 60196th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pira surname appeared 335 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pira.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pira to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pira

The surname PIRA has its roots in Italy, originating from the Piedmont region during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "pira," which means "pear," suggesting that the name may have been associated with an occupation related to growing or selling pears.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the PIRA surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the town of Cuneo, located in the province of Piedmont. Historical records from that period mention a landowner named Giovanni PIRA, who owned a sizeable orchard renowned for its pear cultivation.

During the 15th century, the surname PIRA gained prominence in the nearby town of Savigliano, where a prominent family bearing this name established themselves as successful merchants and traders. The PIRA family was known for their involvement in the pear trade, exporting the fruit to various parts of Europe.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Antonio PIRA (1525-1598) emerged as a respected scholar and theologian from the city of Turin. He authored several influential works on religious philosophy and served as an advisor to the Archbishop of Turin.

Another individual of note was Giulio PIRA (1687-1758), a renowned architect from Asti, who designed several notable churches and public buildings in the region. His most famous work is the Chiesa di San Secondo in Asti, which remains an architectural landmark to this day.

In the 19th century, Giuseppe PIRA (1810-1892) was a prominent politician and lawyer from Alessandria. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and played a crucial role in the unification of Italy during the Risorgimento period.

While the PIRA surname originated in the Piedmont region, it eventually spread to other parts of Italy and beyond, as individuals migrated and established themselves in new areas. However, the early historical records and notable figures associated with this surname are primarily concentrated in the northern Italian regions, particularly Piedmont and its surrounding areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pira

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pira.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pira was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pira has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pira was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pira, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!