Pompeo last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Pompeo

An Italian surname derived from the Latin phrase pompa movens, meaning "moving with pomp or solemnity."

Pompeo, 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 Pompeo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pompeo in America

Pompeo is the 31107th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pompeo surname appeared 746 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 Pompeo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pompeo 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank3110733333-6.91%
Count74664614.37%
Proportion per 100k0.250.244.08%

The history of the last name Pompeo

The surname Pompeo originated in Italy during the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "pompa," meaning "pomp" or "splendor." The name likely referred to someone who led a pompous or ostentatious lifestyle. Alternatively, it may have been an occupational name for someone who organized grand public events or processions.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of Italy, including Rome, Naples, and Genoa. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Guido Pompeo, a nobleman from the Abruzzo region who lived in the late 13th century.

In the 15th century, the Pompeo family became prominent in the city of Verona, where they held influential positions in the local government. Notably, Antonio Pompeo (1434-1498) served as a diplomat and military commander for the Venetian Republic.

During the Renaissance period, the Pompeo surname was associated with several notable individuals in the arts and sciences. Giovanni Pompeo Capponi (1534-1602) was a renowned Florentine scholar and theologian, while Girolamo Pompeo Mozzi (1532-1592) was a celebrated architect and engineer from Bergamo.

In the 17th century, the name gained further prominence with the rise of the Pompeo family in Naples. Francesco Pompeo (1616-1693) was a highly regarded jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Supreme Court of Naples.

Other notable bearers of the Pompeo surname include the 18th-century Italian composer Gaetano Pompeo (1735-1796), known for his operas and sacred works, and the 19th-century painter Vincenzo Pompeo Ghittoni (1811-1880), whose works can be found in various churches and galleries across Italy.

Throughout its history, the Pompeo surname has maintained a strong presence in Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania, Lazio, and Abruzzo. While it has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural and historical tapestry of the Italian peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pompeo

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

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 Pompeo was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only91.96%686
Non-Hispanic Black Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only0.80%6
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races1.07%8
Hispanic Origin6.17%46

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 Pompeo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White91.96%94.74%-2.98%
Black0.00%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander0.80%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0.00%0.00%
Two or More Races1.07%1.24%-14.72%
Hispanic6.17%3.87%45.82%

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

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

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