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

Puni, 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 Puni surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Puni in America

Puni is the 122314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Puni surname appeared 141 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 Puni.

The history of the last name Puni

The surname "PUNI" is believed to have originated in Italy, with its roots tracing back to the late medieval period. The name is thought to derive from the Italian word "pugno," which means "fist" or "punch." It is possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a particularly strong or powerful fist or punch.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "PUNI" can be found in a document from the city of Siena, dated around the year 1350. This document mentions a certain "Giovanni Puni," who was a merchant and landowner in the region. It is likely that the name had already been established in the area for some time before this record.

In the 15th century, the "PUNI" surname appears in various records from the Tuscany region of Italy, particularly in the cities of Florence and Pisa. One notable individual from this time period was Alessandro Puni, a renowned artist and sculptor who lived from 1425 to 1492. His works can still be found in several churches and museums throughout Tuscany.

As the name spread across Italy, it also underwent some variations in spelling. In the northern regions, such as Lombardy and Veneto, the surname was sometimes recorded as "PUNI" or "PONI," reflecting regional dialects and pronunciation differences.

In the 16th century, the "PUNI" surname began to appear in records from other parts of Europe, as Italian families migrated and settled in different countries. For example, there are records of a family by the name of "PUNI" residing in the city of Seville, Spain, during the late 1500s.

One of the most notable figures in the history of the "PUNI" surname was Giovanni Battista Puni, an Italian philosopher and scholar who lived from 1587 to 1648. He was renowned for his work in the fields of logic and metaphysics, and his writings were widely studied throughout Europe during his lifetime and in the centuries that followed.

Another prominent individual with the "PUNI" surname was Francesca Puni, an Italian poet and playwright who lived from 1712 to 1788. Her works were highly regarded in literary circles of the time, and she was celebrated for her skillful use of language and her insightful commentary on social and political issues.

As the centuries progressed, the "PUNI" surname continued to spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by Italian immigrants and their descendants. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Italy, the name has become truly global, with families bearing the "PUNI" surname found in many countries today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Puni

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

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 Puni 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.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!