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

Capote, 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 Capote surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Capote in America

Capote is the 16100th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Capote surname appeared 1,798 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 Capote.

We can also compare 2010 data for Capote 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 Capote

The surname Capote is of Spanish origin, derived from the Spanish word "capote," which means a cloak or a long overcoat. It is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period.

The earliest known references to the Capote surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various Spanish historical records. One notable mention is in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a hunting manuscript written in the late 13th century, which includes the name "Capote" as one of the huntsmen mentioned.

In the 15th century, the Capote surname appeared in several Spanish documents, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura. It is possible that the name was initially associated with individuals who worked as cloakmakers or tailors, or those who wore distinctive cloaks as part of their profession or social status.

The Capote surname gained prominence in the 16th and 17th centuries with the Spanish exploration and colonization of the Americas. Several notable individuals with this surname played significant roles in the conquest and settlement of the New World.

One of the earliest recorded examples is Alonso Capote, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. Another prominent figure was Juan Capote, a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in the conquest of Puerto Rico in the late 15th century.

During the colonial era, the Capote surname spread to various parts of the Americas, including Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and South America. The name can be found in historical records from these regions, often associated with landowners, military figures, and members of the colonial elite.

In more recent history, the Capote surname has been carried by several notable individuals, such as Truman Capote (1924-1984), the renowned American author known for his works like "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "In Cold Blood." Another prominent figure was Virgilio Piñera Capote (1912-1979), a Cuban writer, playwright, and poet who was a leading figure in the Cuban avant-garde movement.

Other individuals with the Capote surname who have made significant contributions include Manuel Capote Bernal (1842-1923), a Cuban poet and journalist, and Juan Capote Vázquez (1918-1994), a Spanish poet and playwright from the Canary Islands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Capote

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

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

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

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