2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pristera
An Italian surname derived from the Greek "presbyteros" meaning elder or priest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Pristera. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pristera 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Pristera in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pristera, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pristera
The surname Pristera has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the medieval period around the 11th or 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "presto," which means "quick" or "swift." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptor for someone who was known for their speed or agility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pristera can be found in a document from the city of Palermo, Sicily, dated around 1250. This document mentions a certain Guglielmo Pristera, who was a merchant residing in the city at that time. The name also appears in various other historical records from various regions of Italy, including Naples, Calabria, and Sardinia.
During the Renaissance period, the Pristera name gained some prominence with the birth of Girolamo Pristera (1472-1542), a renowned Italian painter and sculptor. Born in the city of Messina, Sicily, Pristera's works can still be found in churches and museums across Italy, with his most notable pieces being the altarpieces in the Church of San Domenico in Messina.
Another notable figure bearing the Pristera surname was Ludovico Pristera (1578-1637), a Catholic priest and philosopher from Naples. Pristera was a respected scholar of his time and authored several works on theology and metaphysics, including the influential treatise "De Anima" (On the Soul).
In the 18th century, the name Pristera was associated with the Italian adventurer and explorer Giovanni Battista Pristera (1724-1792). Born in Genoa, Pristera embarked on numerous voyages to the Americas and the Caribbean, documenting his travels in a series of journals that provide valuable insights into the colonial era.
During the 19th century, the Pristera name gained further recognition with the birth of Giuseppe Pristera (1819-1892), a prominent Italian politician and statesman. Pristera served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was instrumental in the unification of Italy, playing a crucial role in the negotiations leading to the formation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
Throughout its history, the Pristera surname has been associated with various regions of Italy, including Sicily, Calabria, Naples, and Sardinia. While the name has maintained its distinct Italian roots, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pristera
Among Census respondents with the surname Pristera, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pristera 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 Pristera surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 105
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pristera
Pristera 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,384 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,384 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 3,182 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 Pristera 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 | #152,628 | #149,446 | 2.1% |
| Count | 107 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pristera bearers went from 107 to 110 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 3,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #149,446.
FAQ
Pristera surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pristera?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Pristera. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Pristera?
Pristera ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Pristera. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Pristera.
Has Pristera become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pristera went from 107 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Pristera?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pristera, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Pristera in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pristera appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Pristera (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 Pristera mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Greek "presbyteros" meaning elder or priest. 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 Pristera (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 many Americans have the surname Pristera?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.