2000
#9,529
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Pizzo
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at a well or spring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,394 Americans carry the last name Pizzo. That puts it at #10,344 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,988 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pizzo 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
3.4K
1 in 100,988
Census rank
#10,344
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,960 bearers of the surname Pizzo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10344th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pizzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pizzo
The surname Pizzo has its origins in Italy, with the earliest known records dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Italian word "pizzo," which means "lace" or "fringe." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive surname to someone involved in the lace-making or textile industry.
The name Pizzo is particularly prevalent in the southern regions of Italy, especially in the provinces of Reggio Calabria and Vibo Valentia, where it has deep roots. Some of the earliest records of the name can be found in various historical documents from these areas, including church records and municipal archives.
One notable historical reference to the name Pizzo can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of documents relating to the city of Bari, dating back to the 11th century. This compilation includes several mentions of individuals bearing the surname Pizzo, indicating the presence of the name in southern Italy during that time period.
The town of Pizzo, located in the province of Vibo Valentia, Calabria, is believed to have played a significant role in the propagation of the surname. It is possible that the name was originally derived from this place name, with individuals migrating from the town and carrying the surname with them to other parts of Italy and beyond.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pizzo are Giovanni Pizzo (born around 1320), a merchant from Reggio Calabria, and Niccolò Pizzo (born circa 1380), a renowned sculptor from the same region, known for his intricate works in marble.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Pizzo. These include Francesco Pizzo (1610-1689), a Baroque painter from Naples renowned for his religious works; Girolamo Pizzo (1739-1811), an Italian historian and author from Palermo, Sicily; and Giuseppe Pizzo (1784-1865), a prominent lawyer and politician from Reggio Calabria, who served as a deputy in the Neapolitan Parliament.
Other notable figures with the surname Pizzo include Pietro Pizzo (1810-1891), an Italian sculptor from Catania, Sicily, known for his works in marble and terracotta; and Marco Pizzo (1885-1962), an Italian painter and illustrator from Reggio Calabria, whose works depicted scenes from the folklore and traditions of his native Calabria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pizzo
Among Census respondents with the surname Pizzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pizzo 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 Pizzo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,721
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 130
- Two or more races2.5% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pizzo
Pizzo 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
#10,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,161
+32 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 664 places
2020
#10,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,960
-201 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 151 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,529 | 3,129 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,193 | 3,161 | 1.07 | +32 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 664 places |
| 2020 | #10,344 | 2,960 | 0.99 | -201 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 151 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 Pizzo 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 | #10,193 | #10,344 | -1.5% |
| Count | 3,161 | 2,960 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 0.99 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pizzo bearers went from 3,161 to 2,960 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 151 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,193 to #10,344.
FAQ
Pizzo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pizzo?
Name Census estimates that about 3,394 living Americans carry the surname Pizzo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,988 residents.
How common is Pizzo?
Pizzo ranks #10,344 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,960 people with the surname Pizzo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,394), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Pizzo.
Has Pizzo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pizzo went from 3,161 recorded bearers to 2,960. That is a decrease of 201 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,193 to #10,344.
What does the Census say about the background of Pizzo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pizzo, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) 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 Pizzo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,721 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pizzo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (4.4%), 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 Pizzo (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 Pizzo mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked at a well or spring. 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 Pizzo (0.99 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 Pizzo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.