2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pirruccello
A diminutive of an Italian name meaning "little pear" or "little perry".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Pirruccello. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pirruccello 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Pirruccello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pirruccello, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pirruccello
The surname Pirruccello is of Italian origin, originating from the island of Sicily during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Sicilian dialect word "pirrùcchia," which means "curly hair" or "frizzy hair." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with particularly curly or frizzy hair.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from the town of Palermo, Sicily, dating back to the 14th century. In these records, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Pirrucchello," "Pirruchiello," and "Pirruchiello," reflecting the variations in dialect and orthography common during that time.
In the 16th century, the Pirruccello family is mentioned in the archives of the city of Catania, Sicily, where they were involved in various trades and professions. Notable individuals from this era include Giovanni Pirruccello, a merchant who lived in Catania from 1510 to 1572, and Agostino Pirruccello, a renowned goldsmith who crafted intricate religious artifacts for local churches between 1545 and 1608.
During the 17th century, the Pirruccello name gained prominence in the town of Modica, Sicily, where several members of the family held positions of influence. One such individual was Francesco Pirruccello (1618-1692), who served as a magistrate and was highly regarded for his fair and impartial judgments.
As the centuries progressed, the Pirruccello family spread beyond Sicily to other regions of Italy and even to other parts of the world. In the late 19th century, a notable figure was Antonio Pirruccello (1854-1932), a Sicilian-born author and journalist who emigrated to the United States and became a prominent voice in the Italian-American community.
Another prominent individual was Vincenzo Pirruccello (1903-1981), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and played a significant role in shaping post-World War II legislation in Italy.
While the Pirruccello surname may not be as widely known as some other Italian names, it has a rich history spanning centuries and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from merchants and artisans to scholars and politicians.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pirruccello
Among Census respondents with the surname Pirruccello, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pirruccello 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 Pirruccello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 7
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pirruccello
Pirruccello 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,191 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 5,191 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 2,081 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 Pirruccello 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 | #139,228 | #141,309 | -1.5% |
| Count | 120 | 121 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pirruccello bearers went from 120 to 121 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 2,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #141,309.
FAQ
Pirruccello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pirruccello?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Pirruccello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Pirruccello?
Pirruccello ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Pirruccello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Pirruccello.
Has Pirruccello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pirruccello went from 120 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Pirruccello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pirruccello, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Pirruccello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pirruccello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Pirruccello (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 Pirruccello mean?
A diminutive of an Italian name meaning "little pear" or "little perry". 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 Pirruccello (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 Pirruccello?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.