2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pirigyi
A Hungarian surname derived from the word 'piri' meaning small or little.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Pirigyi. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pirigyi 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Pirigyi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pirigyi, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pirigyi
The surname PIRIGYI originates from Hungary, with roots dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Hungarian word "piri," which means "red" or "reddish," and "gyi," a diminutive suffix. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.
Early records show variations of the spelling, such as Pirighi, Pyrigyi, and Pirigy, indicating the name's evolution over time. One of the earliest documented instances of the surname can be found in a 16th-century manuscript from the town of Szeged, which refers to a landowner named Janos Pirigyi.
In the 17th century, the name appears in several historical records, including tax rolls and property deeds from the regions of Transdanubia and the Great Hungarian Plain. A notable figure from this period was Istvan Pirigyi (1624-1687), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of a church in his hometown of Kecskemét.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the PIRIGYI surname continued to be associated with various notable individuals. Katalin Pirigyi (1768-1842) was a renowned herbalist and midwife who practiced in the village of Tiszalök. Sandor Pirigyi (1824-1901) was a respected educator and author who published several textbooks on mathematics and geography.
In the 20th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Erno Pirigyi (1908-1992), a celebrated composer and conductor who contributed significantly to the development of Hungarian contemporary classical music. Another prominent figure was Judit Pirigyi (1932-2018), a respected anthropologist and archaeologist who led several excavations in the Carpathian Basin.
While the PIRIGYI surname may not be as common as some other Hungarian names, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including landowners, merchants, academics, and artists, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural tapestry of Hungary.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pirigyi
Among Census respondents with the surname Pirigyi, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pirigyi 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 Pirigyi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pirigyi
Pirigyi 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,373 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,001 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 1,373 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,001 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 Pirigyi 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 | #145,220 | #147,221 | -1.4% |
| Count | 114 | 113 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pirigyi bearers went from 114 to 113 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,001 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #147,221.
FAQ
Pirigyi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pirigyi?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Pirigyi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Pirigyi?
Pirigyi ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Pirigyi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Pirigyi.
Has Pirigyi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pirigyi went from 114 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Pirigyi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pirigyi, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Pirigyi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pirigyi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Pirigyi (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 Pirigyi mean?
A Hungarian surname derived from the word 'piri' meaning small or little. 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 Pirigyi (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 have the last name Pirigyi?
Want to know how common the surname Pirigyi is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.