2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pulecio
An Italian surname possibly derived from the word "pulce" meaning "flea".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Pulecio. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pulecio 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Pulecio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pulecio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.0%. The next largest groups are White (12.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pulecio
The surname PULECIO originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "pulce," meaning "flea," which may have been a nickname for someone who was small and nimble, or perhaps a reference to a profession or occupation related to dealing with fleas or pests.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the PULECIO surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Padovano, a collection of medieval documents from the city of Padua, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in a document from 1267, referring to a certain "Petrus Pulecio."
In the 14th century, the PULECIO name appeared in several manuscripts and records from various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. One notable individual from this time was Giacomo PULECIO, a poet and writer from Florence who lived between 1320 and 1390.
By the 15th century, the PULECIO surname had spread to other parts of Italy, with records showing families bearing this name in regions like Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. One of the earliest recorded examples from this period is Giovanni PULECIO, a merchant from Pavia who lived from 1428 to 1498.
During the Renaissance, several notable individuals with the PULECIO surname left their mark in various fields. One such person was Antonio PULECIO (1452-1516), a renowned painter from Verona who specialized in religious artwork and frescoes.
In the 17th century, the PULECIO name was associated with several scholars and intellectuals. One of the most prominent figures from this era was Francesco PULECIO (1603-1678), a philosopher and theologian from Naples who wrote extensively on metaphysics and ethics.
Throughout the centuries, the PULECIO surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Pulizio, Pulizi, and Pulicci, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences in different parts of Italy. Despite these variations, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pulecio
Among Census respondents with the surname Pulecio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.0%. The next largest groups are White (12.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pulecio 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 Pulecio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.0% · 104
- White12.4% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pulecio
Pulecio 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+13 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 10,223 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 Pulecio 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 | #151,532 | #141,309 | 6.7% |
| Count | 108 | 121 | 12.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pulecio bearers went from 108 to 121 (+12.0% change). The surname moved up 10,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #141,309.
FAQ
Pulecio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pulecio?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Pulecio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Pulecio?
Pulecio ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Pulecio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Pulecio.
Has Pulecio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pulecio went from 108 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 13 (+12.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Pulecio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pulecio, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.0%. The next largest groups are White (12.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pulecio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pulecio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.0%), White (12.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Pulecio (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 Pulecio mean?
An Italian surname possibly derived from the word "pulce" meaning "flea". 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 Pulecio (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 people have the last name Pulecio?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Pulecio on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.