Find out how popular the last name Po is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Po.

Po, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Po surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Po in America

Po is the 21524th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Po surname appeared 1,213 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Po.

We can also compare 2010 data for Po to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Po

The surname Po has its origins in the Italian language and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "povo," which means "people" or "populace." The name was likely given to individuals who resided in or near a populous area or town.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Po can be found in the records of the Republic of Venice, where a nobleman named Marco Po was mentioned in a document dated 1247. This suggests that the name was already in use among the aristocracy of the region during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name Po appeared in the records of the city of Florence, where a family of merchants and bankers bore this surname. Notably, Giovan Battista Po, a prominent financier, was born in Florence in 1374 and played a significant role in the city's economic affairs.

The Po surname also has historical ties to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, specifically in the city of Parma. In the 15th century, a notable figure named Girolamo Po (1452-1524) was a renowned philosopher and scholar who authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy.

During the Renaissance period, the Po surname gained further prominence with the emergence of notable artists and intellectuals. One such individual was Antonio Po (1516-1598), a renowned painter from the city of Modena, whose works adorned many churches and palaces throughout Italy.

In the 17th century, the Po surname made its way to the New World, with several individuals bearing this name settling in various parts of the Americas. One notable figure was Pedro Po (1623-1698), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied expeditions to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

Throughout history, the Po surname has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Povo, a town in the northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige, and Pove del Grappa, a municipality in the province of Vicenza, Veneto.

While the surname Po may have evolved and been spelled differently in various regions and time periods, it has maintained its Italian roots and connection to the concept of "people" or "populace," reflecting the historical significance of this name in the cultural and social fabric of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Po

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Po.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Po was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Po has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Po was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Po, please contact us.

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