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

Capasso, 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 Capasso surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Capasso in America

Capasso is the 14523rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Capasso surname appeared 2,053 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Capasso.

We can also compare 2010 data for Capasso 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 Capasso

The surname Capasso has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Campania. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "capa," which means "head" or "leader," and the suffix "-asso," indicating a characteristic or quality. Thus, the name Capasso can be interpreted as "the headman" or "the leader."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Capasso can be found in the documents of the city of Naples, dating back to the 13th century. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Capasio" or "Capasso." It is likely that the name was initially associated with individuals who held positions of authority or leadership within their respective communities.

The Capasso surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest known figures was Pietro Capasso, a prominent jurist and legal scholar who lived in Naples during the 15th century (c. 1430-1498). Another notable figure was Niccolò Capasso, a renowned painter and architect who was active in Naples in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (c. 1570-1639).

In the 18th century, the Capasso family produced several influential members, including Francesco Capasso (1738-1816), a renowned philosopher and theologian, and Raffaele Capasso (1749-1825), a celebrated poet and playwright. During this period, the name Capasso also appeared in various official records and documents across southern Italy.

The 19th century saw the rise of another prominent figure, Bartolomeo Capasso (1815-1900), a distinguished historian and archaeologist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Roman and Greek civilizations. His works, including "Le antichità di Capua" (The Antiquities of Capua), are still widely referenced today.

As the Capasso surname spread throughout Italy and beyond, it has been carried by numerous other notable individuals, including the 20th-century physicist and Nobel laureate Renato Capasso (1932-2020), as well as the contemporary Italian writer and journalist Anna Capasso (born 1964).

While the name Capasso has maintained a strong presence in its region of origin, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of Italy, as well as in countries with significant Italian diaspora populations, such as the United States, Argentina, and Brazil.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Capasso

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

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

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

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