2000
#11,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,429
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Caggiano
Derived from a place name in Italy, likely referring to someone who lived near a walled enclosure or cage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,500 Americans carry the last name Caggiano. That puts it at #13,367 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caggiano 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.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 137,102
Census rank
#13,367
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,180 bearers of the surname Caggiano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13367th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caggiano, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caggiano
The surname Caggiano originates from the Italian region of Campania, specifically the town of Caggiano in the province of Salerno. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "Cagianus," which referred to a person or family from the town of the same name.
The earliest recorded mention of the name Caggiano can be traced back to the 11th century, when it appeared in various Italian documents and records. One notable example is its inclusion in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the Cava de' Tirreni region.
During the Middle Ages, the Caggiano family was prominent in the town of Caggiano and surrounding areas. They held influential positions and owned substantial lands and properties. In the 14th century, a branch of the family migrated to Naples, where they gained prominence and prestige.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Caggiano was Pietro Caggiano, who lived in the late 12th century and was a renowned scholar and poet. He is credited with writing several works, including a collection of sonnets and a historical chronicle of the town of Caggiano.
Another notable figure was Niccolò Caggiano, born in 1452, who served as a diplomat and ambassador for the Kingdom of Naples. He played a crucial role in negotiating treaties and maintaining diplomatic relations with other Italian states.
In the 16th century, the Caggiano family produced several esteemed members of the clergy, including Francesco Caggiano (1520-1588), who served as the Bishop of Capaccio and was widely respected for his piety and charitable works.
During the Renaissance period, the name Caggiano was also associated with the arts. Giovanni Caggiano (1559-1612) was a renowned painter and sculptor who gained recognition for his religious artworks and frescoes adorning various churches and cathedrals throughout Italy.
In the 18th century, the Caggiano family continued to hold prominent roles in Italian society. Carlo Caggiano (1738-1816) was a distinguished lawyer and judge who served in the legal system of the Kingdom of Naples and later the Napoleonic regime.
While the name Caggiano has its roots in the southern Italian region of Campania, it has since spread to other parts of Italy and beyond due to migration and the diaspora of Italian communities worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caggiano
Among Census respondents with the surname Caggiano, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Caggiano 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 Caggiano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,984
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 103
- Two or more races2.3% · 51
- Black or African American1.1% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caggiano
Caggiano 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
#12,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,382
-47 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 1,094 places
2020
#13,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,180
-202 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 463 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,810 | 2,429 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,904 | 2,382 | 0.81 | -47 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 1,094 places |
| 2020 | #13,367 | 2,180 | 0.73 | -202 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 463 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 Caggiano 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 | #12,904 | #13,367 | -3.6% |
| Count | 2,382 | 2,180 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.73 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caggiano bearers went from 2,382 to 2,180 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 463 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,904 to #13,367.
FAQ
Caggiano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caggiano?
Name Census estimates that about 2,500 living Americans carry the surname Caggiano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,102 residents.
How common is Caggiano?
Caggiano ranks #13,367 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,180 people with the surname Caggiano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,500), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Caggiano.
Has Caggiano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caggiano went from 2,382 recorded bearers to 2,180. That is a decrease of 202 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,904 to #13,367.
What does the Census say about the background of Caggiano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caggiano, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Caggiano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,984 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caggiano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Caggiano (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 Caggiano mean?
Derived from a place name in Italy, likely referring to someone who lived near a walled enclosure or cage. 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 Caggiano (0.73 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 many people are called Caggiano?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Caggiano is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.