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

Puleo, 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 Puleo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Puleo in America

Puleo is the 10339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Puleo surname appeared 3,115 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Puleo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Puleo 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 Puleo

The surname Puleo is of Italian origin, specifically from the island of Sicily. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "pullus," meaning "young animal" or "chick." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who worked with or raised poultry or other livestock.

The earliest known records of the Puleo surname date back to the 13th century in various Sicilian towns and villages. One of the earliest documented instances is found in a medieval manuscript from the town of Palermo, which mentions a certain "Nicolaus Puleo" in the year 1278.

During the Middle Ages, the Puleo name was particularly prevalent in the southeastern region of Sicily, around the towns of Ragusa, Modica, and Scicli. It is possible that the name was originally associated with these areas, as many Sicilian surnames have their roots in specific geographic locations.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Puleo surname was Vincenzo Puleo (c. 1520 - 1592), a renowned architect and sculptor from Palermo. He is best known for his contributions to the construction of the Cathedral of Palermo and several other notable buildings in the city.

Another historical figure of note is Francesco Puleo (1638 - 1712), a Sicilian painter and engraver who worked in the Baroque style. His works can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Sicily.

During the 18th century, the Puleo surname gained some prominence in the literary world with the poet and writer Giovanni Puleo (1745 - 1818), who was born in Ragusa and published several collections of poetry and plays.

As Sicilians began to emigrate to other parts of Italy and beyond in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Puleo name spread to various regions. One notable individual from this period was Antonio Puleo (1868 - 1938), an Italian-American businessman and philanthropist who founded several successful businesses in New York City.

Throughout its history, the Puleo surname has maintained a strong connection to its Sicilian roots, with many families tracing their ancestry back to the island's southeastern region. While the name has spread to other parts of the world, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the rich cultural heritage of Sicily.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Puleo

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

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

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

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