2000
#6,920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,474
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.66
Rare Last name
Pisano
An Italian toponymic surname indicating a person from Pisa, Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,858 Americans carry the last name Pisano. That puts it at #7,559 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,555 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pisano 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pisano with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 70,555
Census rank
#7,559
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,236 bearers of the surname Pisano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7559th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pisano, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pisano
The surname Pisano has its origins in Italy, specifically in the Tuscany region, and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Italian word "Pisa," which is the name of a city in Tuscany. The name Pisano translates to "of Pisa" or "from Pisa."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pisano can be found in the Decameron, a collection of novellas written by the renowned Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio between 1348 and 1353. The name appears in reference to Leonardo Pisano, also known as Fibonacci, a famous Italian mathematician who introduced the Hindu-Arabic numeral system to Europe.
Another notable historical figure with the surname Pisano was Nicola Pisano, an Italian sculptor and architect who lived between circa 1220 and 1284. He is celebrated for his work on the pulpit of the Baptistery of Pisa, which showcased his innovative style and helped pave the way for the Renaissance.
In the 14th century, Tommaso Pisano, also known as Tommaso da Modena, was a prominent Italian painter and a leading figure of the late Gothic or early Renaissance period. His works can be found in various churches and museums in Italy.
A century later, in the 15th century, Andrea Pisano, a Florentine sculptor and architect, gained recognition for his contributions to the Renaissance art movement. His most notable work is the bronze door panels of the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence.
During the 16th century, the name Pisano was associated with Vittore Pisano, an Italian engraver and printmaker who was active in Venice. His etchings and engravings showcased his mastery of the art form and were highly sought after during his time.
Throughout history, the surname Pisano has been closely linked to the city of Pisa and its rich cultural heritage. While the name has evolved over time, its connection to the Tuscan region and the contributions of its bearers to various fields, such as mathematics, art, and architecture, have left an indelible mark on Italian history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pisano
Among Census respondents with the surname Pisano, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Pisano 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 Pisano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 3,646
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 418
- Two or more races2.1% · 87
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pisano
Pisano 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
#7,331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,551
+77 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 411 places
2020
#7,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,236
-315 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 228 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,920 | 4,474 | 1.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,331 | 4,551 | 1.54 | +77 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 411 places |
| 2020 | #7,559 | 4,236 | 1.42 | -315 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 228 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 Pisano 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 | #7,331 | #7,559 | -3.1% |
| Count | 4,551 | 4,236 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.54 | 1.42 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pisano bearers went from 4,551 to 4,236 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 228 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,331 to #7,559.
FAQ
Pisano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pisano?
Name Census estimates that about 4,858 living Americans carry the surname Pisano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,555 residents.
How common is Pisano?
Pisano ranks #7,559 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,236 people with the surname Pisano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,858), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pisano.
Has Pisano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pisano went from 4,551 recorded bearers to 4,236. That is a decrease of 315 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,331 to #7,559.
What does the Census say about the background of Pisano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pisano, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Pisano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (3,646 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pisano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Hispanic (9.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Pisano (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 Pisano mean?
An Italian toponymic surname indicating a person from Pisa, Italy. 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 Pisano (1.42 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 Americans have the surname Pisano?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.