Explore the Family Name Ponciano

The meaning of Ponciano

Spanish and Portuguese: from the personal name Ponciano (from Latin Pontianus). Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Julio, Carlos, Isidoro, Luis, Mario, Alfaro, Andres, Aniceto, Claudio, Elia, Eloy.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Ponciano in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Ponciano has been growing in the United States. In 2000, Ponciano was ranked as the 28,353rd most common surname and by 2010 it had risen to the 21,034th spot, marking a significant increase of about 25.81%. The number of people bearing the surname increased from 793 in 2000 to 1,250 in 2010, showing an impressive growth rate of 57.63%. Additionally, the proportion of individuals with the surname Ponciano per 100,000 people also grew, moving from 0.29 in 2000 to 0.42 in 2010, a rise of roughly 44.83%.

20002010Change
Rank#28,353#21,03425.81%
Count7931,25057.63%
Proportion per 100k0.290.4244.83%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ponciano

When considering ethnicity, the distribution of the surname Ponciano has seen some changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority of those with this surname identified as Hispanic in both years (67.97% in 2000 and 71.68% in 2010), there was a noticeable increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, rising from 7.44% to 9.76%. The data also recorded new classifications under Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities in 2010, which were not present in 2000. However, the percentage of those identifying as White decreased from 21.06% to 14.96%, as well as those reporting two or more races, which dropped from 3.40% to 2.64%.

20002010Change
Hispanic67.97%71.68%5.46%
White21.06%14.96%-28.96%
Asian/Pacific Islander7.44%9.76%31.18%
Two or More Races3.4%2.64%-22.35%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.56%0%
Black0%0.4%0%