2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Principio
An Italian surname derived from the Latin word "principium," meaning beginning or origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Principio. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Principio 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Principio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Principio, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.4%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Principio
The surname Principio originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "principio," which means "beginning" or "origin." This name was likely given to someone who was the first or founding member of a family or community.
The earliest known record of the Principio name dates back to the 13th century in the town of Amalfi, located in the southern region of Campania. In 1267, a document from the Amalfi Cathedral archives mentions a merchant named Giovanni Principio, who traded goods along the Mediterranean coast.
In the 14th century, the Principio name appeared in various historical records across Italy. In 1342, a nobleman named Matteo Principio was recorded as owning land in the town of Sulmona, in the Abruzzo region. Additionally, a friar named Domenico Principio is mentioned in a manuscript from the Monastery of Santa Maria di Montevergine, located near Avellino, in 1375.
During the Renaissance period, the Principio family gained prominence in the city of Florence. In 1487, a wealthy banker named Lorenzo Principio was instrumental in financing the construction of the Palazzo Strozzi, one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in the city.
In the 17th century, a famous Italian mathematician and astronomer named Francesco Maria Principio (1615-1690) made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. He worked closely with the renowned scientist Galileo Galilei and published several treatises on the motion of planets and comets.
Another notable figure in history with the Principio surname was Girolamo Principio (1772-1856), a renowned Italian sculptor from Naples. His works adorned numerous churches and public buildings throughout Italy, and he is particularly known for his marble sculptures depicting religious and mythological themes.
The Principio name can also be found in historical records from other parts of Italy, such as Sicily and the Veneto region. However, its origins and earliest documented use can be traced back to the southern Italian regions of Campania and Abruzzo during the medieval and Renaissance periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Principio
Among Census respondents with the surname Principio, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.4%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Principio 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 Principio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.7% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander14.4% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Principio
Principio appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+5 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,464 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,709 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 4,464 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 1,709 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 Principio 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 | #145,220 | #143,511 | 1.2% |
| Count | 114 | 118 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Principio bearers went from 114 to 118 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 1,709 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #143,511.
FAQ
Principio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Principio?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Principio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Principio?
Principio ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Principio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Principio.
Has Principio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Principio went from 114 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 4 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Principio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Principio, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (14.4%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Principio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Principio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (14.4%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Principio (2000, 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 Principio mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin word "principium," meaning beginning or origin. 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 Principio (0.04 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 common is the surname Principio?
Find out how many people are called Principio on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.