2000
#22,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,081
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Capizzi
An Italian surname originating from the town of Capizzi in Sicily.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,319 Americans carry the last name Capizzi. That puts it at #22,865 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 259,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Capizzi 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
1.3K
1 in 259,859
Census rank
#22,865
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,150 bearers of the surname Capizzi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22865th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Capizzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Capizzi
The surname Capizzi originated in Sicily, Italy, and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian word "capizzu," which means "head" or "headland." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who lived near a prominent headland or coastal feature.
The earliest known record of the Capizzi name appears in a document from the town of Messina, dated 1185. In this document, a man named Giovanni Capizzi is mentioned as a landowner. Over the following centuries, the name spread throughout Sicily and became particularly prevalent in the areas around Palermo and Catania.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Guglielmo Capizzi (1310-1378) was a prominent merchant and banker in Palermo. He played a significant role in the economic development of the city during that era.
The Capizzi name also appears in several historical manuscripts and records from the 15th and 16th centuries. For instance, a friar named Tommaso Capizzi (1470-1535) was a renowned scholar and theologian who wrote extensively on religious subjects.
During the 17th century, the Capizzi family gained prominence in the town of Bronte, located near Mount Etna. The Capizzi palace, built in the late 1600s, still stands in Bronte and is a notable example of Sicilian Baroque architecture.
In the 19th century, a notable figure named Francesco Capizzi (1824-1898) was a prominent politician and statesman from Catania. He served as a member of the Italian parliament and played a role in the unification of Italy.
Another individual of historical significance was Salvatore Capizzi (1866-1927), a Sicilian painter and sculptor who specialized in religious works. His sculptures and paintings can be found in various churches throughout Sicily.
Throughout its history, the Capizzi name has also been associated with several variations and alternate spellings, such as Capezzi, Capezio, and Capazio, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic differences within Sicily and Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Capizzi
Among Census respondents with the surname Capizzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Capizzi 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 Capizzi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 1,077
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 42
- Two or more races1.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 8
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Capizzi
Capizzi 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
#23,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,101
+20 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Down 909 places
2020
#22,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,150
+49 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 302 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,258 | 1,081 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,167 | 1,101 | 0.37 | +20 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 909 places |
| 2020 | #22,865 | 1,150 | 0.38 | +49 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 302 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 Capizzi 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 | #23,167 | #22,865 | 1.3% |
| Count | 1,101 | 1,150 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.38 | 4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Capizzi bearers went from 1,101 to 1,150 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 302 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,167 to #22,865.
FAQ
Capizzi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Capizzi?
Name Census estimates that about 1,319 living Americans carry the surname Capizzi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 259,859 residents.
How common is Capizzi?
Capizzi ranks #22,865 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,150 people with the surname Capizzi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,319), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Capizzi.
Has Capizzi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Capizzi went from 1,101 recorded bearers to 1,150. That is an increase of 49 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,167 to #22,865.
What does the Census say about the background of Capizzi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Capizzi, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Capizzi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (1,077 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Capizzi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (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 Capizzi (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 Capizzi mean?
An Italian surname originating from the town of Capizzi in Sicily. 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 Capizzi (0.38 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 Capizzi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.