2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pungitore
An occupational surname derived from the Italian word for "one who stings".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Pungitore. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pungitore 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Pungitore in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pungitore, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pungitore
The surname Pungitore is of Italian origin, originating from the southern regions of the country. It is derived from the Italian word "pungere," which means "to prick" or "to sting." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked with sharp objects or was involved in a profession related to pricking or stinging, such as a tailor or a beekeeper.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Pungitore can be traced back to the 16th century in the city of Naples. Historical records show that a family by the name of Pungitore lived in the Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarters) of Naples during this time period. This area was known for its artisans and craftsmen, lending credence to the theory that the name was originally associated with a trade involving sharp objects.
One notable historical figure with the surname Pungitore was Giovan Battista Pungitore, an Italian painter born in Messina, Sicily, in 1625. He was known for his religious works and his paintings can still be found in various churches throughout Sicily.
Another prominent individual was Francesco Pungitore, a jurist and writer from Palermo, Sicily, who lived in the 17th century. He published several works on Sicilian history and law, including "Memorie istoriche del Vespro Siciliano" (Historical Memoirs of the Sicilian Vespers) in 1673.
In the 18th century, Giuseppe Pungitore, a priest and scholar from Catania, Sicily, made significant contributions to the study of Sicilian history and literature. He authored several books, including "Della genesi del mondo" (On the Genesis of the World) in 1774.
Another notable figure was Vincenzo Pungitore, a Sicilian painter born in Messina in 1834. He was known for his landscapes and genre paintings, and his works are displayed in various museums and galleries in Italy.
The surname Pungitore can also be found in various historical documents and records from the 16th to 19th centuries, particularly in the regions of Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. While the name is relatively uncommon outside of Italy, it has left a lasting mark on the country's history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pungitore
Among Census respondents with the surname Pungitore, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Pungitore 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 Pungitore surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 113
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pungitore
Pungitore 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
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+8 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,686 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.6%) | Up 7,686 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 Pungitore 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 | #154,907 | #147,221 | 5.0% |
| Count | 105 | 113 | 7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pungitore bearers went from 105 to 113 (+7.6% change). The surname moved up 7,686 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #147,221.
FAQ
Pungitore surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pungitore?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Pungitore. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Pungitore?
Pungitore ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Pungitore. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Pungitore.
Has Pungitore become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pungitore went from 105 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 8 (+7.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Pungitore?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pungitore, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Pungitore in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pungitore appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Pungitore (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 Pungitore mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Italian word for "one who stings". 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 Pungitore (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 Pungitore?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Pungitore on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.