2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Caperna
A surname derived from an Italian word meaning "small hut" or "shelter".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Caperna. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caperna 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Caperna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caperna, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caperna
The surname Caperna is of Italian origin, with its roots stretching back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Campania, particularly in and around the city of Naples. The name is thought to derive from the Latin word "capra," meaning "goat," suggesting a possible connection to the goat-herding or dairy industry in the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caperna can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the Archivio di Stato di Napoli, where a certain Giovanni Caperna is mentioned as a landowner in the vicinity of Caserta. This document provides valuable insight into the geographical distribution and socioeconomic status of the family during that era.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the records of the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, where a scholar named Pietro Caperna was listed as a professor of philosophy. This reference highlights the family's involvement in the intellectual and academic spheres of the time.
During the Renaissance period, the Caperna family gained prominence in the city of Naples. Notably, Girolamo Caperna (1501-1572) was a renowned painter and architect who contributed to the design and embellishment of several churches and palaces in the city.
Another notable figure was Giulio Caperna (1586-1648), a Neapolitan jurist and legal scholar who authored several influential treatises on civil law. His works were widely cited and studied throughout the Italian peninsula during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the Caperna family had established branches in other regions of Italy, including Tuscany and Piedmont. One notable member was Antonio Caperna (1725-1798), a botanist and naturalist from Turin, who made significant contributions to the study of alpine flora.
The name Caperna can also be traced to various place names in Italy, such as the small town of Caperna in the province of Perugia, Umbria. This town's name is believed to be derived from the same Latin root as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the family and the goat-herding or dairy industry in the region.
Throughout its history, the surname Caperna has been associated with individuals from diverse fields, including art, law, academia, and science, reflecting the family's versatility and intellectual pursuits across generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caperna
Among Census respondents with the surname Caperna, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Caperna 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 Caperna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.2% · 85
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 7
- Black or African American3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caperna
Caperna 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,716 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 13,716 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 807 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 Caperna 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 | #151,532 | #152,339 | -0.5% |
| Count | 108 | 106 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caperna bearers went from 108 to 106 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 807 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,339.
FAQ
Caperna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caperna?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Caperna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Caperna?
Caperna ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Caperna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Caperna.
Has Caperna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caperna went from 108 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Caperna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caperna, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (6.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Caperna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.2% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caperna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.2%), Two or More Races (7.5%), Hispanic (6.6%). 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 Caperna (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 Caperna mean?
A surname derived from an Italian word meaning "small hut" or "shelter". 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 Caperna (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 people have the surname Caperna?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.