2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Puzzuoli
An Italian habitational surname referring to someone from Pozzuoli near Naples.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Puzzuoli. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Puzzuoli 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Puzzuoli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Puzzuoli, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Puzzuoli
The surname PUZZUOLI is of Italian origin, specifically from the region of Campania in Southern Italy. It is believed to have derived from the ancient city of Pozzuoli, which was known as Puteoli in Latin. The name Puteoli is thought to come from the Latin word "puteus," meaning "well" or "pit," referring to the area's natural sulfuric springs and volcanic craters.
The city of Pozzuoli has a rich history dating back to the Roman era, when it served as a major commercial hub and naval base. It is possible that the surname PUZZUOLI was first adopted by families residing in or near the city during this time period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PUZZUOLI can be found in a document from the 13th century, where a certain Nicola Puzzuoli is mentioned as a landowner in the region. This suggests that the name was already well-established by that time.
During the Renaissance, a notable figure with the surname PUZZUOLI was Girolamo Puzzuoli (1508-1579), an Italian architect and engineer who worked on various projects in Naples and its surroundings. His contributions to the city's architectural landscape have left a lasting legacy.
Another prominent individual bearing the PUZZUOLI name was Antonio Puzzuoli (1630-1692), a Neapolitan painter known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout Southern Italy.
In the 18th century, Giovanni Battista Puzzuoli (1721-1801) was a renowned Italian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. His work was highly regarded by his contemporaries and influenced future generations of scientists.
Fast forward to the 19th century, and we find Raffaele Puzzuoli (1856-1923), an Italian sculptor whose works can be found in various public spaces and museums in Naples and beyond. He was particularly skilled in creating intricate marble sculptures and busts.
The PUZZUOLI surname continues to be found predominantly in the Campania region of Italy, as well as in areas with significant Italian diaspora populations. While its origins can be traced back to the ancient city of Pozzuoli, the name has since spread across Italy and beyond, carried by individuals and families who have left their mark on various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Puzzuoli
Among Census respondents with the surname Puzzuoli, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Puzzuoli 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 Puzzuoli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 110
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Puzzuoli
Puzzuoli 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,530 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,530 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 8,430 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 Puzzuoli 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 | #137,327 | #145,757 | -6.1% |
| Count | 122 | 115 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Puzzuoli bearers went from 122 to 115 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 8,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #145,757.
FAQ
Puzzuoli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Puzzuoli?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Puzzuoli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Puzzuoli?
Puzzuoli ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Puzzuoli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Puzzuoli.
Has Puzzuoli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Puzzuoli went from 122 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Puzzuoli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Puzzuoli, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Puzzuoli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Puzzuoli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Black (0.9%). 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 Puzzuoli (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 Puzzuoli mean?
An Italian habitational surname referring to someone from Pozzuoli near Naples. 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 Puzzuoli (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 surname Puzzuoli?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.