Find out how popular the last name Caffo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Caffo.

Caffo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Caffo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caffo in America

Caffo is the 126765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caffo surname appeared 135 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Caffo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Caffo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Caffo

The surname Caffo has its origins in Italy, particularly in the southern regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 11th and 15th centuries.

One theory suggests that Caffo is derived from the Arabic word "qafiz," which referred to a unit of measurement for grains or dry goods. This connection could indicate that the name was initially associated with individuals involved in agriculture or trade, perhaps as merchants or landowners.

Another hypothesis traces the name back to the Latin word "calvus," meaning "bald" or "hairless." In this case, Caffo may have been a descriptive surname given to someone with a distinctive physical characteristic, a common practice in medieval times.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Caffo can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in Sicily. For example, a certain Guglielmo Caffo is mentioned in a land registry from the town of Noto in 1268.

During the Renaissance period, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Italy, with notable individuals bearing the surname. One such figure was Giovanni Battista Caffo, a renowned painter from Genoa who lived in the late 16th century (circa 1550-1610).

In the 18th century, the Caffo family had a presence in the city of Naples, where Antonio Caffo (1715-1783) was a respected lawyer and judge. His son, Domenico Caffo (1748-1825), followed in his father's footsteps and became a prominent jurist as well.

Moving into the 19th century, Giuseppe Caffo (1806-1879) was a respected writer and poet from Palermo, Sicily, whose works explored themes of love, nature, and Sicilian culture.

Another notable figure was Francesco Caffo (1827-1903), a politician and journalist from Reggio Calabria, who played a significant role in the Risorgimento movement that led to the unification of Italy.

Throughout its history, the surname Caffo has maintained its strongest presence in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in Sicily, Calabria, and Campania. While the name may have evolved from various linguistic roots, it has become an integral part of Italian cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caffo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Caffo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Caffo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Caffo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Caffo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Caffo, please contact us.

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