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

Ponessa, 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 Ponessa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ponessa in America

Ponessa is the 115639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ponessa surname appeared 151 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 Ponessa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ponessa 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 Ponessa

The surname Ponessa has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Calabria. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "pone," which means bread or loaf, and was likely an occupational surname given to bakers or those involved in the production or trade of bread.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Ponessa can be traced back to the 14th and 15th centuries in various Italian records and documents. One notable mention is found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of historical documents from the city of Bari, where a certain Nicola Ponessa is referenced in a legal dispute from the year 1389.

Another early reference to the name Ponessa is found in the "Archivio di Stato di Napoli," which contains records from the Kingdom of Naples. In these archives, a merchant named Giacomo Ponessa is mentioned in a trade agreement dated 1427.

During the Renaissance period, the name Ponessa gained some prominence in the artistic and literary circles of Italy. Ludovico Ponessa, a painter from Naples who lived between 1490 and 1564, is known for his religious works and frescoes adorning various churches in the region.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Ponessa was Girolamo Ponessa, a lawyer and jurist from Calabria. Born in 1612, he authored several influential legal treatises and served as a judge in the city of Reggio Calabria.

The 19th century saw the emergence of Vincenzo Ponessa, a playwright and poet from Naples. Born in 1820, he gained recognition for his comedic plays and contributions to the Neapolitan dialect literature.

Other notable individuals with the surname Ponessa include Emilio Ponessa, an Italian sculptor active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and Gianfranco Ponessa, a contemporary Italian author and journalist who has written extensively on issues related to the environment and sustainability.

While the surname Ponessa may have originated from an occupational context, its presence throughout Italian history demonstrates its enduring legacy across various fields, from art and literature to law and commerce.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ponessa

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ponessa, 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!