2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Povio
An uncommon surname likely derived from a placename or location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Povio. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Povio 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Povio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Povio, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Povio
The surname Povio is of Italian origin, originating from the northern regions of the country during the medieval period. The name is believed to derive from the Latin word "povus," meaning "people" or "population," suggesting that the earliest bearers of the name may have been influential figures within their local communities.
The earliest recorded instances of the Povio name can be traced back to the 12th century, appearing in various ecclesiastical records and official documents from the Piedmont region. One notable example is a parchment dated 1187, which mentions a certain Giovanni Povio, a landowner in the town of Asti.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Povio name spread throughout the neighboring regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, with several branches of the family establishing themselves in cities like Milan and Bologna. This period also saw the emergence of various spelling variations, such as Povio, Pavio, and Povii.
In the 15th century, the Povio family gained prominence in the Republic of Venice, where several members held influential positions within the city's government and trade guilds. One prominent figure was Marco Povio (1430-1498), a successful merchant and diplomat who played a significant role in negotiating trade agreements with the Ottoman Empire.
The 16th century saw the rise of the Povio family in the artistic and intellectual circles of Renaissance Italy. Notable figures from this period include the painter Girolamo Povio (1520-1589), whose works adorned several churches and palaces in Florence, and the humanist scholar Antonio Povio (1545-1611), who taught at the University of Padua and authored several treatises on classical literature.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Povio name continued to be prominent in various parts of Italy, with individuals from the family excelling in fields such as law, medicine, and military service. One notable figure was the jurist Francesco Povio (1680-1754), who served as a judge in the Papal States and authored several influential legal texts.
Other significant individuals bearing the Povio surname throughout history include the composer Cesare Povio (1789-1867), whose operas were performed in major theaters across Italy, and the revolutionary figure Giulio Povio (1820-1892), who played a prominent role in the Risorgimento movement and the unification of Italy.
Overall, the Povio surname has a rich and multifaceted history, spanning several centuries and encompassing a diverse range of professions and accomplishments. While originating in northern Italy, the name has left an indelible mark on the cultural, intellectual, and political landscape of the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Povio
Among Census respondents with the surname Povio, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Povio 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 Povio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.4% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino9.8% · 10
- Two or more races5.9% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Povio
Povio appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-8 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,360 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 5,360 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 Povio 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 | #149,395 | #154,755 | -3.6% |
| Count | 110 | 102 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Povio bearers went from 110 to 102 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 5,360 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #154,755.
FAQ
Povio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Povio?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Povio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Povio?
Povio ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Povio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Povio.
Has Povio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Povio went from 110 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Povio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Povio, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Povio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Povio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.4%), Hispanic (9.8%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Povio (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 Povio mean?
An uncommon surname likely derived from a placename or location. 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 Povio (0.03 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 are called Povio?
Want to know how many people have the last name Povio? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.