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

Ponzi, 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 Ponzi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ponzi in America

Ponzi is the 59603rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ponzi surname appeared 339 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 Ponzi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ponzi 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 Ponzi

The surname Ponzi is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, during the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Italian word "ponzo," which means a small pool or pond, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a body of water.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Ponzi name can be found in the historic archives of the city of Siena, dating back to the 13th century. A document from 1287 references a certain Guido di Ponzo, indicating the presence of the surname in the area at that time.

In the 14th century, the Ponzi family gained prominence in the town of Città della Pieve, located in the province of Perugia, Umbria. Historical records mention a merchant named Bartolomeo Ponzi, who lived around 1350 and was involved in the local trade of wool and textiles.

The Ponzi surname is also linked to the small village of Ponzi, located in the municipality of Castiglione del Lago, in the province of Perugia. It is believed that the village may have been named after an early Ponzi family who settled in the area, or alternatively, the family may have taken their surname from the place name.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Ponzi surname was Felice Ponzi, a renowned architect and sculptor who was born in Città della Pieve in 1532. He is best known for his work on the Church of San Lorenzo in Perugia, where he designed the façade and sculpted the ornate decorations.

Another prominent individual with the Ponzi surname was Giovanni Battista Ponzi, a 17th-century painter from Perugia. He was active between 1630 and 1660 and is renowned for his religious works, many of which can be found in churches throughout Umbria and Tuscany.

During the 19th century, the Ponzi family expanded beyond Italy, with some members emigrating to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Carlo Ponzi, an Italian businessman born in Lugo, Italy, in 1882. He gained notoriety in the United States for his infamous financial scheme, known as the "Ponzi scheme," which became the namesake for similar fraudulent investment operations.

Throughout history, the Ponzi surname has maintained a strong presence in Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, where it originated. While the name has spread to other parts of the world, its roots can be traced back to the medieval era in central Italy, with a rich history spanning several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ponzi

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

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

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

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