2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Capacete
A Portuguese surname perhaps derived from the word meaning "helmet" or "headgear".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Capacete. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Capacete 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Capacete in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Capacete, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (25.0%) and White (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Capacete
The surname CAPACETE originated in Portugal in the late 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Portuguese word "capacete," meaning "helmet." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold helmets.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CAPACETE surname can be found in the Portuguese town of Coimbra, where a man named João CAPACETE was listed in municipal records from the year 1498. Similar spellings from that time include Capacete and Capacette.
During the 16th century, the CAPACETE surname began to spread throughout other regions of Portugal, particularly in the north and central areas. In the town of Braga, a prominent family with the name CAPACETE owned several vineyards and played an influential role in the local community.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named António CAPACETE (1612-1679) was a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Lisbon. His works exemplified the Baroque style that was popular during that era.
As Portugal established colonies in the Americas and Africa, the CAPACETE surname also began to appear in these regions. In Brazil, for instance, a man named Francisco CAPACETE (1735-1802) was a respected landowner and plantation owner in the state of Bahia.
Another individual of note was Mariana CAPACETE (1820-1892), a writer and journalist who was one of the first women in Portugal to contribute to major newspapers and literary journals. Her work helped pave the way for greater recognition of female authors in the country.
Throughout its history, the CAPACETE surname has been closely associated with the regions of Portugal where it originated. While it has since spread to other parts of the world, its roots can be traced back to the helmet-making trade and the early Portuguese settlements of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Capacete
Among Census respondents with the surname Capacete, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (25.0%) and White (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Capacete 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 Capacete surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino67.9% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander25.0% · 28
- White3.6% · 4
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Capacete
Capacete appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 2,498 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 Capacete 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 | #150,452 | #147,954 | 1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 112 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Capacete bearers went from 109 to 112 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 2,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #147,954.
FAQ
Capacete surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Capacete?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Capacete. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Capacete?
Capacete ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Capacete. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Capacete.
Has Capacete become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Capacete went from 109 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Capacete?
Among Census respondents with the surname Capacete, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (25.0%) and White (3.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Capacete in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.9% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Capacete appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (67.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (25.0%), White (3.6%). 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 Capacete (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 Capacete mean?
A Portuguese surname perhaps derived from the word meaning "helmet" or "headgear". 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 Capacete (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Capacete?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.