2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pondillo
A surname possibly derived from a Spanish place name or a combination of words in Spanish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Pondillo. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pondillo 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Pondillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pondillo, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pondillo
The surname Pondillo is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Tuscany, during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "pondo," which means "weight" or "burden," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who worked with weights or carried heavy loads.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pondillo can be found in the archives of the city of Florence, dating back to the 14th century. A document from 1387 mentions a certain Giovanni Pondillo, a merchant who traded in various goods, including textiles and spices.
In the 15th century, the Pondillo family established themselves in the town of Siena, where they became prominent members of the local nobility. Several members of the family held influential positions in the city's government and were involved in various cultural and artistic endeavors.
One notable figure from the Pondillo family was Francesco Pondillo (1492-1564), a renowned architect who contributed to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in Siena and the surrounding areas. His most famous work is the Chiesa di San Domenico, a beautiful Renaissance-style church that still stands today.
Another prominent Pondillo was Lucrezia Pondillo (1520-1588), a respected scholar and writer who published several works on philosophy and literature. Her treatise on the works of Dante Alighieri, titled "Il Commento sulla Divina Commedia," was widely acclaimed and helped to establish her reputation as a leading intellectual of her time.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Pondillo family migrated to the island of Sicily, where they settled in the city of Palermo. One of the earliest recorded members of this Sicilian branch was Tommaso Pondillo (1612-1678), a successful merchant and landowner who played an important role in the local economy.
As the Pondillo family spread across Italy, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, including Pondilli, Pondella, and Pondellini. These variations were often related to regional dialects or the personal preferences of individual family members.
Throughout their history, the Pondillos have contributed to various fields, including architecture, literature, commerce, and politics, leaving a lasting legacy in the regions where they settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pondillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Pondillo, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pondillo 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 Pondillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 103
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pondillo
Pondillo 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,533 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,423 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 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 5,533 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,423 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 Pondillo 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 | #152,628 | #150,205 | 1.6% |
| Count | 107 | 109 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pondillo bearers went from 107 to 109 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,423 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #150,205.
FAQ
Pondillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pondillo?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Pondillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Pondillo?
Pondillo ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Pondillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Pondillo.
Has Pondillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pondillo went from 107 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Pondillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pondillo, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Pondillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pondillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Pondillo (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 Pondillo mean?
A surname possibly derived from a Spanish place name or a combination of words in Spanish. 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 Pondillo (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 have the last name Pondillo?
You can see how many people have the surname Pondillo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.