2000
#24,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 933
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Apicella
A surname referring to one who engages in beekeeping or apiculture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,131 Americans carry the last name Apicella. That puts it at #26,112 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 303,054 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Apicella surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Apicella with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 303,054
Census rank
#26,112
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
986
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 986 bearers of the surname Apicella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26112th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Apicella, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Apicella
The surname Apicella originates from Italy, specifically the regions of Campania and Calabria. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "apicula," which means "little bee." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with beekeepers or those involved in the production of honey.
In the 15th century, the surname Apicella can be found in various historical records and documents from the Kingdom of Naples. One notable example is the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of legal documents from the city of Bari, which includes references to individuals bearing the Apicella surname.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Apicella dates back to the late 14th century, when a man named Antonello Apicella was mentioned in a legal document from the town of Amalfi, located in the province of Salerno, Campania.
The surname Apicella has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Gian Giacomo Apicella (1570-1645), an Italian painter and architect from Naples who is known for his works in the Baroque style.
Another prominent figure was Nicola Apicella (1668-1743), an Italian composer and organist who served as the maestro di cappella (chapel master) at the Basilica of San Giovanni Maggiore in Naples.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Apicella (1808-1849) was an Italian patriot and revolutionary who played a significant role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification and independence.
During the same period, Vincenzo Apicella (1815-1886) was an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and held various government positions.
Another notable figure was Enrico Apicella (1872-1949), an Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian Senate and held the position of Minister of Justice in the 1920s.
While the surname Apicella has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, it remains closely associated with its Italian heritage and the regions of Campania and Calabria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Apicella
Among Census respondents with the surname Apicella, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Apicella bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Apicella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 888
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 68
- Two or more races2.1% · 21
- Black or African American0.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Apicella
Apicella appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#24,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 998
+65 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 79 places
2020
#26,112
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 986
-12 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 1,198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,993 | 933 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,914 | 998 | 0.34 | +65 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 79 places |
| 2020 | #26,112 | 986 | 0.33 | -12 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 1,198 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Apicella surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,914 | #26,112 | -4.8% |
| Count | 998 | 986 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.34 | 0.33 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Apicella bearers went from 998 to 986 (-1.2% change). The surname moved down 1,198 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,914 to #26,112.
FAQ
Apicella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Apicella?
Name Census estimates that about 1,131 living Americans carry the surname Apicella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 303,054 residents.
How common is Apicella?
Apicella ranks #26,112 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 986 people with the surname Apicella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Apicella.
Has Apicella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Apicella went from 998 recorded bearers to 986. That is a decrease of 12 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,914 to #26,112.
What does the Census say about the background of Apicella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Apicella, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Apicella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (888 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Apicella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (6.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Apicella (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Apicella mean?
A surname referring to one who engages in beekeeping or apiculture. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Apicella (0.33 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Apicella?
See how many people have the last name Apicella on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.