2000
#17,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,525
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.57
Rare Last name
Pita
Derived from the Greek word "pita," meaning a type of flatbread, likely referring to a baker or bread seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,545 Americans carry the last name Pita. That puts it at #13,192 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,678 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pita 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 Pita with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 134,678
Census rank
#13,192
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,219 bearers of the surname Pita in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13192nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 73.5%. The next largest groups are White (15.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pita
The surname PITA has its origins in Greece, dating back to the Byzantine era around the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Greek word "pita," which means bread or flatbread, a staple food in the region. This surname was likely given to bakers or individuals associated with the production or trade of bread.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the PITA surname can be found in the archives of the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, where a monk named Ioannis PITA is mentioned in a document from the late 13th century. The name also appears in various church records and official documents from the Byzantine and Ottoman periods in Greece.
During the 15th century, the PITA surname was prominent in the Greek communities of the Ionian Islands, particularly on the island of Corfu. A notable figure from this time was Georgios PITA, a merchant and ship owner who lived between 1440 and 1502. His trading ventures extended across the Mediterranean, and his name is recorded in various commercial transactions and maritime records.
In the 17th century, the PITA surname gained prominence in the Peloponnese region of Greece, where several families with this name were involved in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. One such individual was Konstantinos PITA (1790-1843), a military leader and politician who played a significant role in the revolution.
Another notable figure was Petros PITA (1818-1892), a Greek scholar, and writer from the island of Chios. He was a prolific author and contributed to the preservation of Greek literature and culture during the turbulent times of the 19th century.
In the 20th century, the PITA surname continued to be associated with notable individuals in various fields. For example, Ioannis PITA (1909-1990) was a prominent Greek lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice in the 1960s.
While the PITA surname has its roots in Greece, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Greek word for bread, reflecting the cultural significance of this staple food in the region's history and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pita
Among Census respondents with the surname Pita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 73.5%. The next largest groups are White (15.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pita 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 Pita surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino73.5% · 1,631
- White15.1% · 336
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.7% · 170
- Two or more races2.2% · 49
- Black or African American1.4% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pita
Pita 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
#13,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,328
+803 bearers (+52.7%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 4,005 places
2020
#13,192
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,219
-109 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,153 | 1,525 | 0.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,148 | 2,328 | 0.79 | +803 bearers (+52.7%) | Up 4,005 places |
| 2020 | #13,192 | 2,219 | 0.74 | -109 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 44 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 Pita 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 | #13,148 | #13,192 | -0.3% |
| Count | 2,328 | 2,219 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.74 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pita bearers went from 2,328 to 2,219 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,148 to #13,192.
FAQ
Pita surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pita?
Name Census estimates that about 2,545 living Americans carry the surname Pita. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,678 residents.
How common is Pita?
Pita ranks #13,192 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,219 people with the surname Pita. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,545), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Pita.
Has Pita become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pita went from 2,328 recorded bearers to 2,219. That is a decrease of 109 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,148 to #13,192.
What does the Census say about the background of Pita?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 73.5%. The next largest groups are White (15.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pita in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (1,631 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pita appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (73.5%), White (15.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%). 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 Pita (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 Pita mean?
Derived from the Greek word "pita," meaning a type of flatbread, likely referring to a baker or bread seller. 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 Pita (0.74 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 surname Pita?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.