2000
#85,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Capossela
An Italian surname meaning "the principal" or "the head", derived from Italian "capo" meaning "head".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 211 Americans carry the last name Capossela. That puts it at #103,857 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,624,428 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Capossela 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
211
1 in 1,624,428
Census rank
#103,857
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
184
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 184 bearers of the surname Capossela in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 103857th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Capossela, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Capossela
The surname Capossela originates from Italy, specifically from the southern regions of Campania and Basilicata. It is believed to have emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
Capossela is derived from the Italian words "capo" meaning "head" or "chief," and "sela" which is a variation of "sella," meaning "saddle." The name likely referred to someone who was a head saddler or a chief in the saddlery trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Capossela can be found in the 15th-century archives of the city of Naples, where a certain Giovanni Capossela is mentioned as a skilled saddler in the year 1468.
The name Capossela also appears in several historical documents from the nearby town of Potenza, in Basilicata, indicating that the surname was present in both regions during the Renaissance period.
A notable figure with the surname Capossela was Nicola Capossela, born in 1725 in Potenza, who served as a prominent lawyer and judge during the 18th century in the Kingdom of Naples.
In the 19th century, Francesco Capossela, born in 1842 in Campania, was a respected artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraiture.
Another individual of note is Vincenzo Capossela, born in 1869 in Basilicata, who was a celebrated poet and author, recognized for his contributions to the Neapolitan literary scene of the late 19th century.
The name Capossela can also be traced back to the small town of Caposele, located in the province of Avellino, Campania. It is possible that the surname originated from this place name, with variations in spelling and pronunciation occurring over time.
Throughout the centuries, the Capossela surname has been linked to various professions, from skilled artisans and tradesmen to intellectuals and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Capossela
Among Census respondents with the surname Capossela, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Capossela 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 Capossela surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 2
- Two or more races0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Capossela
Capossela 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
#89,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 208
+5 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 3,426 places
2020
#103,857
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 184
-24 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 14,788 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #85,643 | 203 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,069 | 208 | 0.07 | +5 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 3,426 places |
| 2020 | #103,857 | 184 | 0.06 | -24 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 14,788 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 Capossela 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 | #89,069 | #103,857 | -16.6% |
| Count | 208 | 184 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -12.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Capossela bearers went from 208 to 184 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 14,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,069 to #103,857.
FAQ
Capossela surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Capossela?
Name Census estimates that about 211 living Americans carry the surname Capossela. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,624,428 residents.
How common is Capossela?
Capossela ranks #103,857 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 184 people with the surname Capossela. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (211), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Capossela.
Has Capossela become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Capossela went from 208 recorded bearers to 184. That is a decrease of 24 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #89,069 to #103,857.
What does the Census say about the background of Capossela?
Among Census respondents with the surname Capossela, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Capossela in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (165 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Capossela appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (7.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Capossela (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 Capossela mean?
An Italian surname meaning "the principal" or "the head", derived from Italian "capo" meaning "head". 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 Capossela (0.06 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 are called Capossela?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Capossela on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.