Cairone last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Cairone

An Italian surname derived from the town of Cairo Montenotte in northwestern Italy.

Cairone, 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 Cairone surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cairone in America

Cairone is the 113155th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cairone surname appeared 155 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 Cairone.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cairone 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 113155 123314 -8.59%
Count 155 129 18.31%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.05 0.00%

The history of the last name Cairone

The surname Cairone has its roots in Sicily, Italy, and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Italian word "cairone," which means "walnut gatherer" or "walnut seller." The name was likely derived from the occupation of the family's ancestors, who may have been involved in the harvesting or trading of walnuts in the region.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Cairone can be found in the historic archives of Palermo, Sicily, dating back to the late 1300s. These documents refer to a family by the name of Cairone residing in the city during that period. The name was also spotted in various medieval manuscripts and records from surrounding Sicilian towns and villages.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Cairone (1520-1590) was a renowned artist and sculptor from Palermo. His works can still be admired in many churches and public spaces across Sicily. Another individual named Antonio Cairone (1640-1719) was a celebrated playwright and poet from Catania, whose plays were widely performed during the Italian Renaissance.

During the 18th century, the Cairone family seemed to have spread beyond Sicily, with some members relocating to other parts of Italy. One such individual was Giuseppe Cairone (1770-1835), a lawyer and politician who served as a magistrate in Naples and played a role in the city's governance during the Napoleonic era.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Cairone was Benedetto Cairone (1825-1889), a renowned Italian explorer and naturalist. He led several expeditions to Africa and contributed significantly to the study of flora and fauna in the region. His detailed accounts and scientific observations were widely published and acclaimed during his lifetime.

While the surname Cairone is not as common today as it once was, it still retains its historical significance and ties to Sicily's rich cultural heritage. The name's origins can be traced back to the occupation of walnut gathering and trading, which was an important economic activity in the region during the medieval and Renaissance periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cairone

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

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 Cairone was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.19% 146
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 4.52% 7

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 Cairone has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.19% 97.67% -3.63%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 4.52% (S)% (S)%

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 Cairone was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Cairone last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 19, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/cairone-surname-popularity/.

"Cairone last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/cairone-surname-popularity/. Accessed 19 July, 2025

Cairone last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/cairone-surname-popularity/.

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