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

Capo, 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 Capo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Capo in America

Capo is the 15117th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Capo surname appeared 1,952 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 Capo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Capo 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 Capo

The surname CAPO is of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word 'capo,' meaning 'head' or 'chief.' It originated in various regions of Italy, including Sicily, Calabria, and Naples, where it was initially used as a nickname or a descriptive term for individuals who held leadership roles or positions of authority within their communities.

The earliest recorded instances of the CAPO surname can be traced back to the late 12th century, appearing in various documents and records from Southern Italy. One notable early reference is found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of diplomatic documents from the city of Bari, where a certain "Riccardo Capo" is mentioned in a document dated 1189.

Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, the CAPO surname was associated with various notable figures and families. In the 14th century, the Capo family of Naples was known for their involvement in the silk trade and held influential positions within the city's merchant guilds. One prominent member was Giacomo Capo (1310-1382), a successful silk merchant and influential figure in Neapolitan politics.

During the 15th century, the Capo surname gained prominence in Sicily, where the Capo family of Palermo held significant landholdings and played a role in the island's governance. Notably, Antonio Capo (1425-1498) served as a magistrate and advisor to the Aragonese rulers of Sicily.

In the 16th century, the CAPO surname spread to other regions of Italy, including Tuscany and Umbria. One notable figure from this period was the humanist scholar and poet Pietro Capo (1522-1591), born in Perugia, who gained recognition for his Latin poetry and translations of Greek works.

As the surname spread across Italy and into other parts of Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Cappo, Cappo, and Cappo, reflecting regional linguistic differences and scribal variations. Additionally, the surname was sometimes combined with place names, resulting in variants like Capoferro, Capobianco, and Capodanno.

Other notable individuals throughout history bearing the CAPO surname include:

1. Bartolomeo Capo (1594-1667), a Sicilian painter known for his religious works and portraits.
2. Gaspare Capo (1743-1823), an Italian composer and violinist from Naples.
3. Domenico Capo (1810-1892), an Italian sculptor from Palermo, renowned for his marble statues.
4. Giovanni Capo (1876-1942), an Italian-American artist and sculptor based in New York City.
5. Giuseppe Capo (1904-1977), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Capo

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

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

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

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