Explore the Family Name Puma
The meaning of Puma
1. Italian (Sicily): from Sicilian puma ‘apple’, a variant of standard Italian pomo, presumably applied as topographic name, a metonymic occupational name for a fruit grower or seller, or a nickname for someone thought to resemble an apple in some way. Compare La Puma and Li Puma. 2. Amerindian (Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador) and possibly also Hispanic: from Quechuan puma ‘puma’, the name of a species of a large cat known in English (also) as mountain lion or cougar. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Carmine, Sal, Vito, Carmelo, Carmello, Giacomo, Giuseppe, Ignazio, Santo, Saturnina. Spanish Luis, Jose, Manuel, Jacinto, Jorge, Angel, Baldo, Bolivar, Carmella, Cesar, Julio Cesar.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Puma in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Puma" saw a substantial increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 13,359th most popular surname, while by 2010 it had risen to the 12,889th position, showing an improvement of 3.52%. The count of individuals with this surname also grew from 2,092 in 2000 to 2,386 in 2010, marking a significant leap of 14.05%. The proportion of people named Puma per 100,000 also rose from 0.78 to 0.81 during this decade, indicating a growth rate of 3.85%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,359 | #12,889 | 3.52% |
| Count | 2,092 | 2,386 | 14.05% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.78 | 0.81 | 3.85% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Puma
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows interesting shifts in the distribution of the surname "Puma" across different groups between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased markedly from 1.63% to 2.81%, reflecting a change of 72.39%. Similarly, the percentage of Hispanics carrying the Puma surname rose from 25.57% to 34.07%, an upswing of 33.24%. Conversely, the proportion of Whites and Blacks with the "Puma" surname decreased by 13.03% and 33.33%, respectively. The proportion of individuals identifying as two or more races also diminished slightly, but the representation of American Indian and Alaskan Natives remained relatively stable with a slight increase of 3.03%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 70.55% | 61.36% | -13.03% |
| Hispanic | 25.57% | 34.07% | 33.24% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.63% | 2.81% | 72.39% |
| Two or More Races | 1.34% | 1.05% | -21.64% |
| Black | 0.57% | 0.38% | -33.33% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.33% | 0.34% | 3.03% |