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

Puca, 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 Puca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Puca in America

Puca is the 71886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Puca surname appeared 271 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 Puca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Puca 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 Puca

The surname Puca originates from Italy, specifically the region of Calabria in the south. It is thought to have derived from the Greek word 'poukinos', meaning 'made of linen'. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a linen merchant or someone involved in the linen trade during the Middle Ages.

The earliest known record of the Puca name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in a document from the city of Reggio Calabria. This document mentions a man named Giovanni Puca, who was a landowner and local dignitary.

In the 14th century, the name Puca is found in several records from the town of Palmi, Calabria. One notable entry is that of Nicola Puca, who was a respected scholar and teacher in the local community.

During the Renaissance period, the name Puca gained some prominence in the arts. Pietro Puca (1472-1547) was a renowned painter and fresco artist from Cosenza, whose works adorned many churches and palaces in southern Italy.

In the 17th century, the name appears in connection with the noble Puca family of Naples. This family included several high-ranking military officers, such as Gennaro Puca (1610-1678), a captain in the Spanish army during the Thirty Years' War.

Another prominent figure was Girolamo Puca (1748-1825), a philosopher and writer from Calabria who wrote extensively on topics such as ethics and metaphysics. His works were widely studied and discussed in academic circles of the time.

As the Puca name spread across Italy, it also found its way into various place names. For example, there is a small town called Pucara in the province of Vibo Valentia, which likely derived its name from the Puca family who once owned land there.

While the surname Puca is not as common today as it once was, it remains an important part of Italy's cultural heritage, particularly in the southern regions where it originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Puca

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

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

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

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