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

Podesta, 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 Podesta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Podesta in America

Podesta is the 30946th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Podesta surname appeared 751 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 Podesta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Podesta 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 Podesta

The surname Podesta is of Italian origin, with roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Italian word "podestà," which referred to the chief magistrate or governor of a city-state or town in medieval Italy.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Podesta can be found in various historical documents from the 12th and 13th centuries in regions such as Tuscany, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna. The name was particularly prevalent in cities like Florence, Siena, and Bologna, where the office of the podestà held significant importance.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Podesta was Guido Podesta, a prominent Guelph politician from Florence who lived in the late 13th century. He played a crucial role in the political struggles between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, serving as the podestà of several cities, including Arezzo and Prato.

Another notable figure bearing the name Podesta was Raniero Podesta, a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Bologna in the 13th century. He authored several influential works on Roman law and canon law, including the "Lectura super Codice" and the "Commentaria in Digestum Vetus."

In the 14th century, the surname Podesta appeared in the historic records of the Republic of Venice. One such individual was Andrea Podesta, a Venetian diplomat and ambassador who served as the podestà of various territories under Venetian control, including Treviso and Verona.

During the Renaissance period, the name Podesta was associated with several prominent artists and intellectuals. One of the most renowned figures was Andrea Podesta, a Florentine painter and sculptor who lived in the 15th century. His works adorned churches and palaces throughout Italy, and he was celebrated for his innovative use of perspective and light.

In the realm of literature, the surname Podesta is linked to Giovanni Battista Podesta, a 16th-century Italian poet and humanist from Verona. He was a member of the prestigious Accademia degli Infiammati and authored several volumes of poetry, including "Rime" and "Egloghe Pastorali."

While the Podesta surname has its origins in medieval Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by generations of immigrants and descendants. However, the name's rich historical significance remains rooted in the influential role of the podestà in the governance and cultural landscape of medieval Italian cities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Podesta

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

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 Podesta 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 Podesta 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 Podesta was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!