Explore the Family Name Pugliese

The meaning of Pugliese

Italian and Jewish (from Italy): from an adjectival derivative of Puglia, hence a habitational name for someone from Apulia. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Antonio, Rocco, Mario, Salvatore, Angelo, Giuseppe, Carmine, Francesco, Gaetano, Lorenzo, Sal, Vincenzo, Alfonso, Attilio. Spanish Ramona, Rosario, Ana, Beatriz, Carlos.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Pugliese slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 6279 in terms of commonality, but by 2010, it had slid to a rank of 6609 – a decline of 5.26%, despite an increase in count from 4997 to 5126. The proportion per 100,000 people also fell by 5.95% during this period, demonstrating a downward trend in the use of the name Pugliese.

20002010Change
Rank#6,279#6,609-5.26%
Count4,9975,1262.58%
Proportion per 100k1.851.74-5.95%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pugliese

The ethnicity associated with the surname Pugliese saw some changes according to the Decennial U.S. Census. Those identifying as White made up the highest proportion, although their percentage decreased slightly from 95.46% in 2000 to 93.97% in 2010. There were increases in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.32% to 0.55%) and Hispanic (from 2.92% to 4.23%). However, individuals identifying with two or more races saw a decrease from 1.06% to 0.76%. Notably, there was no reported Black ethnicity associated with this surname in 2000, but by 2010, it constituted 0.39% of the population with the Pugliese surname. A similar phenomenon occurred with the American Indian and Alaskan Native population, which grew to 0.10% in 2010.

20002010Change
White95.46%93.97%-1.56%
Hispanic2.92%4.23%44.86%
Two or More Races1.06%0.76%-28.3%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.32%0.55%71.88%
Black0%0.39%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.1%0%

Pugliese ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Pugliese is Italian, which comprises 46.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (19.1%) and French & German (11.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Greek & Balkan, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Scandinavian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Italian46.0%
British & Irish19.1%
French & German11.2%
Other23.7%
Pugliese

Possible origins of the surname Pugliese

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Pugliese have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Sicily, Italy75.60%
Campania, Italy73.80%
Calabria, Italy72.70%
Abruzzo, Italy64.50%
Apulia, Italy64.00%

What Pugliese haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Pugliese is J-M92, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M92 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-P312 and I-M170, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Fleischer, Patti, Scherer, Nathan, Hyman, Catalano, Brody, Weiner, Marks, Messina.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Pugliese surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

pugliesePaternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Pugliese have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Pugliese

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Pugliese" Surname 29.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Pugliese

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Pugliese" Surname 29.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Pugliese

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Pugliese" Surname 10.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Pugliese

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Pugliese" Surname 13.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Pugliese?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Pugliese are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Italian 58.3%

23andMe Users 57.2%