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

Pustay, 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 Pustay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pustay in America

Pustay is the 83226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pustay surname appeared 226 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 Pustay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pustay 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 Pustay

The surname Pustay is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic, specifically in the region of Bohemia, during the 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old Czech word "pustý," which means "deserted" or "abandoned," likely referring to a person who lived in or near an uninhabited area or a deserted settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pustay surname can be found in a 1376 document from the town of Litomyšl, which mentions a certain "Jan Pustay." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late Middle Ages in the region.

During the 15th century, the Pustay family seemed to have established a presence in the city of Prague, as evidenced by various records and documents from that time period. One notable figure was Václav Pustay, a merchant and landowner who lived in Prague in the late 1400s.

In the 16th century, the surname Pustay spread to other parts of the Czech lands, including the region of Moravia. A prominent figure from this era was Jiří Pustay, a Protestant reformer and religious leader who lived from 1525 to 1592.

The 17th century saw the Pustay name appearing in various historical records across Central Europe. One example is Jan Pustay, a Bohemian soldier who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and was mentioned in several military chronicles of the time.

As the Pustay family continued to spread and establish roots in different regions, the spelling of the surname occasionally varied, with variations such as Pusthay, Pusthaye, or Pusthaj appearing in some historical documents.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, several notable figures bore the Pustay surname, including:

1. Karel Pustay (1738-1816), a Czech painter and artist known for his religious and historical works.
2. Antonín Pustay (1792-1862), a Czech composer and music teacher who contributed to the development of Czech classical music.
3. Alžběta Pustay (1818-1891), a Czech writer and poet who wrote extensively about the struggles of women in 19th-century society.
4. Václav Pustay (1854-1923), a Czech businessman and industrialist who played a significant role in the economic development of the Bohemian region.
5. Jan Pustay (1876-1947), a Czech architect and urban planner responsible for several landmark buildings in Prague and other Czech cities.

While the Pustay surname has its roots in the Czech lands, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply tied to the Czech Republic and the rich cultural heritage of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pustay

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

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

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

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