2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pomposelli
A diminutive form of the Italian surname "Pomposo," meaning pompous or arrogant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Pomposelli. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pomposelli 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Pomposelli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pomposelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pomposelli
The surname Pomposelli originated from Italy, specifically in the region of Tuscany. It is believed to have roots dating back to the 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "pomposo," which means pompous or boastful. It is likely that the name was initially a nickname given to someone who exhibited a pompous or arrogant demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pomposelli can be found in a document from the town of Siena, dated 1392. In this document, a merchant named Giovanni Pomposelli is mentioned, indicating that the name was already established in the region by that time.
During the Renaissance period, the Pomposelli family gained prominence in the city of Florence. In the 16th century, a notable member of the family, Lorenzo Pomposelli (1490-1559), was a respected lawyer and diplomat who served under the Medici family.
Another historical figure bearing the Pomposelli name was Giacomo Pomposelli (1625-1691), a Florentine artist known for his paintings and frescoes. His works can still be found adorning the walls of several churches in Florence and its surrounding areas.
In the 18th century, the Pomposelli family expanded their influence beyond Tuscany. Giovanni Battista Pomposelli (1735-1810) was a military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of general in the Italian army.
Moving into the 19th century, Giuseppe Pomposelli (1819-1892) was a prominent Italian politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was a vocal advocate for the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy.
Throughout its history, the Pomposelli surname has also been associated with various place names in Tuscany, such as the town of Pomposelli near Siena, which likely derived its name from the family's presence in the area.
While the surname Pomposelli may not be as widespread today as it once was, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Florence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pomposelli
Among Census respondents with the surname Pomposelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pomposelli 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 Pomposelli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 108
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pomposelli
Pomposelli 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+18 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,791 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,724 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 8,791 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 6,724 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 Pomposelli 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 | #138,304 | #145,028 | -4.9% |
| Count | 121 | 116 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pomposelli bearers went from 121 to 116 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 6,724 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #145,028.
FAQ
Pomposelli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pomposelli?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Pomposelli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Pomposelli?
Pomposelli ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Pomposelli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pomposelli.
Has Pomposelli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pomposelli went from 121 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Pomposelli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pomposelli, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pomposelli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pomposelli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Pomposelli (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 Pomposelli mean?
A diminutive form of the Italian surname "Pomposo," meaning pompous or arrogant. 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 Pomposelli (0.04 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 Pomposelli?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.