2000
#19,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,292
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Caporale
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "caporale" meaning corporal or sergeant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,396 Americans carry the last name Caporale. That puts it at #21,799 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 245,526 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caporale 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
1.4K
1 in 245,526
Census rank
#21,799
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,217 bearers of the surname Caporale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21799th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caporale, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caporale
The surname Caporale originates from Italy and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a combination of two Italian words, "capo" meaning head or chief, and "rale" derived from the word "reale" meaning royal or regal. This suggests that the name was initially associated with a position of authority, likely a military leader or a high-ranking official in the service of a nobleman or ruler.
The earliest known record of the name Caporale can be found in the Florentine archives from the year 1298, where a certain Guido Caporale was mentioned as a nobleman and landowner in the Tuscan region. This indicates that the name had already gained prominence in that era, potentially linked to an influential family or clan.
In the 14th century, the Caporale surname appeared in various historical documents across different regions of Italy, including Naples, Rome, and Venice. These records often referred to individuals holding positions of leadership or command, further reinforcing the name's association with authority and prestige.
One notable figure bearing the Caporale name was Girolamo Caporale (1476-1556), a renowned Italian poet and scholar from Perugia. His works, such as the poetic collection "Rime," were highly acclaimed during the Renaissance period and contributed to the literary legacy of the Italian language.
Another prominent individual was Gaspare Caporale (1550-1622), a Neapolitan painter and architect who worked on several notable projects, including the Church of Gesù Nuovo in Naples and the Royal Palace of Caserta. His artistic contributions left a lasting impact on the architectural and cultural landscape of Italy.
In the 18th century, the Caporale surname gained further recognition with the birth of Vincenzo Caporale (1735-1801), a renowned Italian composer and violinist. His compositions, particularly his violin concertos, were highly regarded and performed throughout Europe during the Classical period.
The name Caporale also has connections to geographical locations within Italy. For instance, the town of Caporale in the province of Perugia was named after the Caporali family, who were once prominent landowners and influential figures in the region.
Over the centuries, the Caporale surname has been subject to various spellings and variations, such as Caporali, Caporrali, and Caporriale, reflecting the linguistic diversity across different regions of Italy. However, the core meaning and significance of the name, rooted in leadership and authority, have remained consistent throughout its historical journey.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caporale
Among Census respondents with the surname Caporale, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Caporale 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 Caporale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 1,097
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 78
- Two or more races1.6% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 8
- Black or African American0.6% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caporale
Caporale 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
#20,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,312
+20 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 886 places
2020
#21,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,217
-95 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Down 1,525 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,388 | 1,292 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,274 | 1,312 | 0.44 | +20 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 886 places |
| 2020 | #21,799 | 1,217 | 0.41 | -95 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 1,525 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 Caporale 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 | #20,274 | #21,799 | -7.5% |
| Count | 1,312 | 1,217 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 0.41 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caporale bearers went from 1,312 to 1,217 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 1,525 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,274 to #21,799.
FAQ
Caporale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caporale?
Name Census estimates that about 1,396 living Americans carry the surname Caporale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 245,526 residents.
How common is Caporale?
Caporale ranks #21,799 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.41 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 1,217 people with the surname Caporale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,396), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.41 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 Caporale.
Has Caporale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caporale went from 1,312 recorded bearers to 1,217. That is a decrease of 95 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,274 to #21,799.
What does the Census say about the background of Caporale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caporale, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Caporale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (1,097 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caporale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Caporale (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 Caporale mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Italian word "caporale" meaning corporal or sergeant. 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 Caporale (0.41 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 last name Caporale?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Caporale on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.