2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pistoia
An Italian surname derived from the city of Pistoia in Tuscany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Pistoia. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pistoia 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Pistoia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pistoia, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pistoia
The surname Pistoia is of Italian origin, deriving from the city of Pistoia located in the Tuscany region of Italy. The name has its roots dating back to the Middle Ages, with the earliest recorded instances appearing in historical documents from the 12th century.
The name Pistoia is believed to be derived from the Latin word "Pistoria," which referred to a place where bread was baked or a bakery. This connection suggests that the surname may have been originally associated with individuals who worked as bakers or owned bakeries in the city of Pistoia.
In the 13th century, the Pistoia family is mentioned in the Florentine chronicles, indicating their presence and influence in the region during that time period. One notable member of the family was Cino da Pistoia, a renowned Italian jurist, poet, and friend of Dante Alighieri, who lived from 1270 to 1336.
The surname Pistoia also appears in various medieval manuscripts and records from the 14th and 15th centuries, such as the Catasto Fiorentino (Florentine Land Registry) and the Libro di Montaperti (Book of Montaperti), which documented the names of individuals involved in historical events and battles.
In the 16th century, the Pistoia name gained further prominence with Felice da Pistoia, an Italian painter and sculptor active in Florence during the Renaissance period. His works can be found in various churches and galleries across Italy.
Another notable figure bearing the Pistoia surname was Girolamo Pistoia, an Italian composer and organist from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as the organist at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and contributed to the development of polyphonic music during the Renaissance era.
Throughout the centuries, the Pistoia surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and professionals. While the name may have originated from a specific location, it has since spread across Italy and beyond, becoming a part of the rich tapestry of Italian heritage and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pistoia
Among Census respondents with the surname Pistoia, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pistoia 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 Pistoia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pistoia
Pistoia 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+13 bearers (+12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,903 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.5%) | Up 3,903 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,162 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 Pistoia 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 | #144,270 | -1.5% |
| Count | 117 | 117 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pistoia bearers went from 117 to 117 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #144,270.
FAQ
Pistoia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pistoia?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Pistoia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Pistoia?
Pistoia ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Pistoia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Pistoia.
Has Pistoia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pistoia went from 117 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Pistoia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pistoia, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Pistoia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pistoia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (6.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Pistoia (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 Pistoia mean?
An Italian surname derived from the city of Pistoia in Tuscany. 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 Pistoia (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 are called Pistoia?
See how many Americans have the surname Pistoia on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.