2000
#18,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,386
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Capote
A Spanish surname derived from the Spanish word for a long outer garment or cloak.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,230 Americans carry the last name Capote. That puts it at #14,676 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 153,701 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Capote 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
2.2K
1 in 153,701
Census rank
#14,676
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,945 bearers of the surname Capote in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14676th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Capote, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Capote
Among Census respondents with the surname Capote, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Capote 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 Capote surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.8% · 1,707
- White10.0% · 195
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 20
- Black or African American0.8% · 15
- Two or more races0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Capote
Capote 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
#16,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,798
+412 bearers (+29.7%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 2,307 places
2020
#14,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,945
+147 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 1,424 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,407 | 1,386 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,100 | 1,798 | 0.61 | +412 bearers (+29.7%) | Up 2,307 places |
| 2020 | #14,676 | 1,945 | 0.65 | +147 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 1,424 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 Capote 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 | #16,100 | #14,676 | 8.8% |
| Count | 1,798 | 1,945 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.65 | 6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Capote bearers went from 1,798 to 1,945 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 1,424 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,100 to #14,676.
FAQ
Capote surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Capote?
Name Census estimates that about 2,230 living Americans carry the surname Capote. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 153,701 residents.
How common is Capote?
Capote ranks #14,676 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,945 people with the surname Capote. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,230), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Capote.
Has Capote become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Capote went from 1,798 recorded bearers to 1,945. That is an increase of 147 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,100 to #14,676.
What does the Census say about the background of Capote?
Among Census respondents with the surname Capote, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Capote in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (1,707 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Capote appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.8%), White (10.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Capote (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 Capote mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Spanish word for a long outer garment or cloak. 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 Capote (0.65 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 Capote?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.