Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  • Visit our Research page for tips on how to explore Panettieri family genealogy and additional Italian surnames using various archives and multiple sources across the Internet.

  • In Italian, Panettieri means “bakers” (plural) and Panettiere means “baker” (singular). For this website we focus mainly on Panettieri.

  • The Panettieri surname appears to be pretty darn young — if you believe data from the World Wide Web. Genealogical databases such as Geneanet trace the Panettieri surname back to the 1600s or so, based on user-submitted family trees and historical documents. Still, we suspect the Panettieri surname extends much further back than that estimate. For context, the Roman Empire extended from 27 BC to 1453 AD.

  • Fewer than 2,000 individuals likely have the surname Panettieri worldwide as of April 2025, according to ChatGPT, the Generative AI search engine from OpenAI. The 2,000 figure is based on data from Cognomix, Forebears, and immigration patterns to the United States during the 1900s, ChatGPT said. Still, GenAI search engines have been know to make errors…

  • The Panettieri surname is found most frequently in these countries:

    • Italy: Likely 500 to 800 people, especially in southern regions like Calabria and Campania, based on frequency and province-level data from Cognomix and Forebears.

    • United States: Roughly 200 to 400 individuals, many likely of Italian descent, according to Forebears data and immigration patterns in the 1900s (known as the Ellis Island era).

    • Argentina & Brazil: Likely fewer than 100 in each country, following immigration from Italy in the early 20th century, based on historical Italian migration flows and surname rarity.

    • Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom: Each country likely has fewer than 50 individuals, based on rare database occurrences.

  • Yes. The town of Panettieri is located in the province of Cosenza in Calabria. But it’s unclear if the town name gave birth to the surname, or vice-versa. Roughly six Panettieri families live in the Calabria region as of April 2025.

  • The lives of Vincent John Panettieri (1935-2024) & Susan Hicks (1939- ) inspired this website’s launch. As husband and wife, they empowered their children to pursue and achieve the American Dream. That dream now extends to 10 grandchildren.

  • Email Site Curator Joe Panettieri: joepanettieri@gmail.com.