2000
#25,242
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 921
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Capaldi
An Italian surname derived from the word "capo" meaning chief or leader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,066 Americans carry the last name Capaldi. That puts it at #27,452 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 321,533 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Capaldi 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 Capaldi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 321,533
Census rank
#27,452
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
930
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 930 bearers of the surname Capaldi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27452nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Capaldi, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Capaldi
The surname Capaldi originated in Italy, with its earliest known bearers hailing from the region of Campania. The name is derived from the Italian word "capo," meaning "head" or "chief," combined with the suffix "-aldi," which denotes a patronymic or familial lineage. This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who held a position of authority or leadership within their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Capaldi name can be traced back to the 12th century, where it appears in a collection of historical documents from the city of Naples. This record mentions a certain "Niccolò Capaldi," who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the area.
During the Renaissance period, the Capaldi family gained further prominence, with several members achieving notable positions within the Catholic Church. In the 16th century, a Capaldi served as the Bishop of Aversa, a town located in the province of Caserta.
The name Capaldi can also be found in various historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries, often associated with prominent figures in the arts and academia. One such individual was Gian Battista Capaldi (1615-1678), a highly regarded painter and sculptor from Naples, renowned for his religious works and commissioned by numerous churches across Italy.
Another notable bearer of the Capaldi name was Vincenzo Capaldi (1772-1848), a renowned philosopher and scholar who served as a professor at the University of Naples. His contributions to the fields of metaphysics and ethics earned him significant recognition during his lifetime.
In more recent history, the Capaldi surname has been carried by several accomplished individuals, including:
1. Peter Capaldi (born 1958), a Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of the Twelfth Doctor in the long-running BBC series "Doctor Who."
2. Gino Capaldi (1912-1992), an Italian-American mobster and member of the Los Angeles crime family, who rose to prominence during the mid-20th century.
3. Rino Capaldi (1876-1940), an Italian architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the development of several cities in Italy, including Naples and Rome.
4. Marco Capaldi (born 1985), an Italian professional tennis player who has achieved notable rankings in both singles and doubles competitions.
5. Luciana Capaldi (1933-2018), an Italian actress and television personality, renowned for her roles in numerous Italian films and television series throughout the latter half of the 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Capaldi
Among Census respondents with the surname Capaldi, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Capaldi 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 Capaldi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 857
- Two or more races4.0% · 37
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 16
- Black or African American1.2% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Capaldi
Capaldi 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
#26,086
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 939
+18 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 844 places
2020
#27,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 930
-9 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 1,366 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,242 | 921 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,086 | 939 | 0.32 | +18 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 844 places |
| 2020 | #27,452 | 930 | 0.31 | -9 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 1,366 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 Capaldi 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 | #26,086 | #27,452 | -5.2% |
| Count | 939 | 930 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.32 | 0.31 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Capaldi bearers went from 939 to 930 (-1.0% change). The surname moved down 1,366 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,086 to #27,452.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Capaldi
FAQ
Capaldi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Capaldi?
Name Census estimates that about 1,066 living Americans carry the surname Capaldi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 321,533 residents.
How common is Capaldi?
Capaldi ranks #27,452 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 930 people with the surname Capaldi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,066), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Capaldi.
Has Capaldi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Capaldi went from 939 recorded bearers to 930. That is a decrease of 9 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #26,086 to #27,452.
What does the Census say about the background of Capaldi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Capaldi, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Capaldi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (857 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Capaldi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Capaldi (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 Capaldi mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "capo" meaning chief or leader. 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 Capaldi (0.31 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 share the surname Capaldi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.