2000
#8,110
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,767
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Pizano
Derived from a place name in Italy, likely referring to someone from the town of Pisano or Pezzano.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,339 Americans carry the last name Pizano. That puts it at #6,957 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,198 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pizano 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
5.3K
1 in 64,198
Census rank
#6,957
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,656 bearers of the surname Pizano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6957th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pizano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pizano
The surname Pizano originated in Italy during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "pizza," which referred to a type of flatbread or cake made with flour, water, and various toppings. The name Pizano likely indicated a baker or seller of this traditional Italian food item.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pizano surname can be found in a document from the city of Naples, dated around 1350. This document mentions a family of bakers named Pizano, who were renowned for their exceptional pizza-making skills.
In the 15th century, the name Pizano appeared in several historical records from the region of Campania, particularly in the cities of Naples and Salerno. During this time, the surname was sometimes spelled as "Pizzano" or "Piczano," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Pizano, one can mention Antonia Pizano (1435-1498), a renowned chef and cookbook author from the city of Naples. Her cookbook, "La Vera Cucina Napoletana" (The True Neapolitan Cuisine), published in 1472, featured several recipes for traditional Neapolitan pizzas and is considered a seminal work in Italian culinary literature.
Another notable figure was Giovanni Pizano (1510-1579), a master baker from Salerno who is credited with introducing the iconic "Margherita" pizza, named after Queen Margherita of Savoy. This pizza, featuring tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil, became a symbol of the Italian culinary tradition and remains one of the most popular pizza varieties worldwide.
In the 16th century, the Pizano family expanded their influence beyond the confines of Campania. Marco Pizano (1550-1623), a descendant of the Neapolitan bakers, established a successful bakery in Rome, where he gained a reputation for his exceptional pizza-making skills. His establishment became a popular destination for locals and visitors alike, further spreading the fame of the Pizano name.
During the 17th century, the Pizano surname appeared in records from various Italian cities, including Florence, Venice, and Milan, suggesting that members of the family had migrated and established themselves in different regions of the Italian peninsula.
One notable figure from this era was Luca Pizano (1620-1692), a baker from Milan who is credited with introducing the concept of "pizza al taglio" (pizza by the slice), a convenient and affordable way of selling pizza that became popular among the working classes. His innovation contributed to the widespread popularity of pizza as a fast and inexpensive meal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pizano
Among Census respondents with the surname Pizano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pizano 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 Pizano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.3% · 4,298
- White6.2% · 287
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 33
- Two or more races0.3% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 12
- Black or African American0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pizano
Pizano 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
#6,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,110
+1,343 bearers (+35.7%)
Per 100,000 1.73
Rank movement Up 1,482 places
2020
#6,957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,656
-454 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Down 329 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,110 | 3,767 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,628 | 5,110 | 1.73 | +1,343 bearers (+35.7%) | Up 1,482 places |
| 2020 | #6,957 | 4,656 | 1.56 | -454 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 329 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 Pizano 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 | #6,628 | #6,957 | -5.0% |
| Count | 5,110 | 4,656 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.73 | 1.56 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pizano bearers went from 5,110 to 4,656 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 329 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,628 to #6,957.
FAQ
Pizano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pizano?
Name Census estimates that about 5,339 living Americans carry the surname Pizano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,198 residents.
How common is Pizano?
Pizano ranks #6,957 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,656 people with the surname Pizano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,339), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Pizano.
Has Pizano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pizano went from 5,110 recorded bearers to 4,656. That is a decrease of 454 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,628 to #6,957.
What does the Census say about the background of Pizano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pizano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%). 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 Pizano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (4,298 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pizano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.3%), White (6.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%). 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 Pizano (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 Pizano mean?
Derived from a place name in Italy, likely referring to someone from the town of Pisano or Pezzano. 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 Pizano (1.56 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 Pizano?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Pizano is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.