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

Pontius, 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 Pontius surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pontius in America

Pontius is the 13246th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pontius surname appeared 2,305 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pontius.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pontius 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 Pontius

The surname Pontius originates from ancient Rome, where it was a Roman family name or nomen. It is derived from the Latin word "pontis," meaning "bridge." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a bridge or was associated with bridge construction or maintenance.

In ancient Roman records, the name Pontius appears as early as the 1st century BC. One of the most notable historical figures with this surname was Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect who presided over the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the 1st century AD.

During the Middle Ages, the name Pontius spread across Europe, particularly in regions influenced by Roman culture and settlement. It was sometimes anglicized as "Ponce" or "Pont" in different regions.

In England, the Domesday Book of 1086 records a few individuals with the surname Pontius or variations like Ponce, indicating the name's presence in the region after the Norman Conquest.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Pontius, including:

1. Pontius Pilate (c. 5 BC - c. AD 39), the Roman prefect of Judea who presided over the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
2. Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus (354 - 431), a Roman poet and Christian saint from Gaul.
3. Pontius de la Gardie (1520 - 1585), a Swedish statesman and military leader during the Northern Seven Years' War.
4. Pontius Hultman (1635 - 1702), a Swedish architect and city planner who designed parts of Stockholm.
5. Pontius Tiliander (1637 - 1717), a Swedish theologian and Bishop of Linköping.

The name Pontius has also been associated with various place names derived from the Latin root "pontis," such as Pont-à-Mousson in France and Pontremoli in Italy, reflecting the historical spread and influence of the Roman Empire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pontius

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

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

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

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