2000
#9,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,036
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Puleo
An Italian occupational surname referring to a poultry farmer or dealer, derived from the Italian word for chicken.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,383 Americans carry the last name Puleo. That puts it at #10,385 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,317 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Puleo 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
3.4K
1 in 101,317
Census rank
#10,385
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,950 bearers of the surname Puleo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10385th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Puleo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Puleo
Among Census respondents with the surname Puleo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Puleo 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 Puleo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 2,672
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 178
- Two or more races2.2% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Puleo
Puleo 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
#10,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,115
+79 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 512 places
2020
#10,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,950
-165 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 46 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,827 | 3,036 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,339 | 3,115 | 1.06 | +79 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 512 places |
| 2020 | #10,385 | 2,950 | 0.99 | -165 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 46 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 Puleo 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 | #10,339 | #10,385 | -0.4% |
| Count | 3,115 | 2,950 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.99 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Puleo bearers went from 3,115 to 2,950 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 46 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,339 to #10,385.
FAQ
Puleo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Puleo?
Name Census estimates that about 3,383 living Americans carry the surname Puleo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,317 residents.
How common is Puleo?
Puleo ranks #10,385 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,950 people with the surname Puleo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,383), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Puleo.
Has Puleo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Puleo went from 3,115 recorded bearers to 2,950. That is a decrease of 165 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,339 to #10,385.
What does the Census say about the background of Puleo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Puleo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Puleo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (2,672 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Puleo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (6.0%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Puleo (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 Puleo mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a poultry farmer or dealer, derived from the Italian word for chicken. 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 Puleo (0.99 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 are called Puleo?
Find out how many people have the last name Puleo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.