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

Puno, 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 Puno surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Puno in America

Puno is the 44270th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Puno surname appeared 486 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 Puno.

We can also compare 2010 data for Puno 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 Puno

The surname PUNO is of Spanish origin, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "puño," which means "fist" or "grip." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who was particularly skilled in hand-to-hand combat or had a strong, powerful grip.

During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the name PUNO began to appear in various records and documents, particularly in regions now known as Mexico and Peru. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the 1567 census records of the town of Tacámbaro, located in present-day Michoacán, Mexico, where a family with the surname PUNO is listed.

In Peru, the name PUNO is closely associated with the city of the same name, located near Lake Titicaca. It is believed that the city's name may have originated from the Quechua word "puno," meaning "door" or "entrance," referring to its strategic location as a gateway to the Andes Mountains. However, some historians suggest that the name PUNO could have been derived from the Spanish word "puño," further reinforcing the potential origins of the surname.

One notable figure bearing the surname PUNO was Don Pedro de Puno, a Spanish conquistador and military officer who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century. De Puno played a significant role in the battles against the Inca Empire and was later granted land and titles by the Spanish Crown in recognition of his service.

Another prominent individual with the PUNO surname was José Puno y Ancheta (1790-1865), a Filipino lawyer, statesman, and revolutionary leader. Puno was a key figure in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule and served as the first President of the Revolutionary Government in 1898.

In the realm of literature, the Chilean poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), whose birth name was Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto, was born in the city of Parral, which was once known as "Puno" during the colonial era. This connection, although indirect, adds to the historical significance of the name PUNO in Spanish-speaking cultures.

Other notable individuals with the PUNO surname include Rosendo Puno (1834-1893), a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as Prime Minister of the Philippines under Spanish colonial rule, and Imelda Puno (1913-1992), a Filipino jurist and the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 1973.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Puno

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

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

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

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