Find out how popular the last name Pontious is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pontious.
A surname derived from the Latin name "Pontius" or the Roman surname "Pontius."
Pontious, 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 Pontious surname is from the 2010 census data.
Pontious is the 20949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Pontious surname appeared 1,257 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 Pontious.
We can also compare 2010 data for Pontious 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 20949 | 21156 | -0.98% |
Count | 1,257 | 1,156 | 8.37% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.00% |
The surname Pontious has its origins in ancient Rome and the Latin word "pontifex", which referred to a type of high priest or religious leader. The name likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who held a position within the church or religious order.
The earliest known recorded use of the surname Pontious dates back to the 12th century in England, where it was spelled in various forms such as Pontifex, Pontife, and Pontif. These early spellings were more closely tied to the original Latin meaning of the word.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Walter Pontif, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. Another early record is of a Roger Pontifex, who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1199.
In the 13th century, the surname began to appear in its more modern spelling of Pontious. One notable individual from this time period was William Pontious, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.
The surname Pontious may also have been influenced by various place names throughout Europe, such as the town of Pont in France or the Italian city of Pontremoli. Some early bearers of the name may have taken it from one of these locations.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Pontious. One example is Sir John Pontious (1520-1578), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another is John Pontious (1727-1797), an American Revolutionary War soldier who fought in the Battle of Long Island.
In the 19th century, the Pontious surname gained prominence through individuals such as Peter Pontious (1820-1892), a German-born American businessman and entrepreneur who established a successful brewery in Philadelphia. Another notable figure was William Pontious (1836-1908), an American Civil War veteran and politician who served as a member of the Ohio State Senate.
As the Pontious surname spread throughout the world, it continued to be associated with various professions and occupations, reflecting its original Latin roots and connection to religious and clerical roles.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pontious.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pontious was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 94.03% | 1,182 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.72% | 9 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.91% | 24 |
Hispanic Origin | 2.47% | 31 |
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 Pontious has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 94.03% | 95.07% | -1.10% |
Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.72% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.69% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 1.91% | 1.99% | -4.10% |
Hispanic | 2.47% | 1.47% | 50.76% |
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 Pontious was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/pontious-surname-popularity/">Pontious last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Pontious last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/pontious-surname-popularity/.
"Pontious last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/pontious-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024
Pontious last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/pontious-surname-popularity/.
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