Pontiff
See also: pontiff
English edit
Etymology edit
From pontiff, a nickname for someone who had played the role of the pope in a medieval religious play, or for a vain and pompous person.
Proper noun edit
Pontiff (plural Pontiffs)
- A surname transferred from the nickname.
Statistics edit
- According to the 2010 United States Census, Pontiff is the 39352nd most common surname in the United States, belonging to 559 individuals. Pontiff is most common among White (94.63%) individuals.
Further reading edit
- Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Pontiff”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.