2000
#20,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,237
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Pelosi
An Italian surname derived from the words "pelo" and "oso", meaning hairy or shaggy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,370 Americans carry the last name Pelosi. That puts it at #22,141 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 250,186 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pelosi 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pelosi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 250,186
Census rank
#22,141
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,195 bearers of the surname Pelosi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22141st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelosi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pelosi
The surname Pelosi has its origins in Italy, with records dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "pelo," meaning hair. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with a distinctive hairstyle or a surname related to an occupation involving hair or fur.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the archives of the Republic of Venice, where a certain Giovanni Pelosi is mentioned in a document from 1384. Another early reference is found in the town of Assisi, where a family by the name of Pelosi is recorded as residing in the 15th century.
The name Pelosi is particularly prevalent in the regions of Umbria and Marche, indicating that these areas may have been the original birthplaces of the surname. In Umbria, the town of Perugia has a long-standing connection with the Pelosi family, with several prominent individuals bearing this surname throughout history.
One notable figure from the 16th century was Pietro Pelosi (1510-1592), a renowned painter and architect from Perugia. His works adorned several churches and palaces in the region, and he is widely recognized for his contributions to the Renaissance art movement in Italy.
Another distinguished individual was Girolamo Pelosi (1674-1744), a Jesuit priest and mathematician from the town of Foligno in Umbria. He gained recognition for his work in the field of astronomy and for his writings on religious subjects.
In the 18th century, the Pelosi family gained prominence in the town of Montefalco, Umbria, where a branch of the family established itself as landowners and influential citizens. One member, Giuseppe Pelosi (1732-1810), served as the mayor of Montefalco and played a significant role in the town's development during his tenure.
The 19th century saw the migration of many Pelosi families to other parts of Italy and beyond. Notably, Francesco Pelosi (1836-1916), a native of Marche, immigrated to the United States and settled in California, where he became a successful businessman and landowner.
Throughout the centuries, the Pelosi name has been associated with various occupations, including artisans, merchants, and professionals. While the name has maintained its Italian roots, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pelosi
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelosi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pelosi 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 Pelosi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 1,083
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 79
- Two or more races1.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pelosi
Pelosi 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
#20,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,309
+72 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 254 places
2020
#22,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,195
-114 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 1,832 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,055 | 1,237 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,309 | 1,309 | 0.44 | +72 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 254 places |
| 2020 | #22,141 | 1,195 | 0.40 | -114 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 1,832 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 Pelosi 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 | #20,309 | #22,141 | -9.0% |
| Count | 1,309 | 1,195 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 0.40 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pelosi bearers went from 1,309 to 1,195 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 1,832 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,309 to #22,141.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pelosi
FAQ
Pelosi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pelosi?
Name Census estimates that about 1,370 living Americans carry the surname Pelosi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 250,186 residents.
How common is Pelosi?
Pelosi ranks #22,141 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.40 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 1,195 people with the surname Pelosi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,370), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.40 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 Pelosi.
Has Pelosi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pelosi went from 1,309 recorded bearers to 1,195. That is a decrease of 114 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,309 to #22,141.
What does the Census say about the background of Pelosi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pelosi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Pelosi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (1,083 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pelosi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (6.6%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Pelosi (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 Pelosi mean?
An Italian surname derived from the words "pelo" and "oso", meaning hairy or shaggy. 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 Pelosi (0.40 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 Americans have the surname Pelosi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.