2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cappadonia
A surname originating from Cappadocia, an ancient region of central Anatolia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Cappadonia. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cappadonia 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Cappadonia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappadonia, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cappadonia
The surname Cappadonia has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Campania. It is believed to have derived from the Latin phrase "Cappadox Bona," which translates to "Good Cappadocian." This suggests that the name may have been given to families or individuals who came from the ancient region of Cappadocia, located in modern-day Turkey.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cappadonia can be found in the 14th century, in a document from the city of Naples. This document mentions a certain Giacomo Cappadonia, who was a merchant and landowner.
During the Renaissance period, the Cappadonia family gained prominence in the artistic and cultural circles of Italy. One notable figure was Antonio Cappadonia, a renowned painter who lived from 1456 to 1523. His works can be found in several churches and museums across Italy.
In the 17th century, the name Cappadonia appears in records from the town of Salerno. A certain Girolamo Cappadonia, born in 1624, was a respected lawyer and judge who served in the local courts.
The 19th century saw the rise of a prominent Cappadonia family in the field of music. Luigi Cappadonia, born in 1832, was a celebrated composer and conductor. His operas and symphonic works were widely performed throughout Europe during his lifetime.
Another notable figure with the surname Cappadonia was Francesca Cappadonia, a feminist activist and writer who lived from 1868 to 1942. She was a vocal advocate for women's rights and authored several influential works on gender equality.
Over the centuries, the spelling of the name Cappadonia has remained relatively consistent, although variations such as Capadonia and Cappadona have been recorded. Additionally, the name has been associated with various place names within Italy, such as Cappadonia di Sicilia and Cappadonia di Calabria, reflecting the geographical spread of families bearing this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cappadonia
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappadonia, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cappadonia 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 Cappadonia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 97
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cappadonia
Cappadonia 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+18 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,171 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-21 bearers (-17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,112 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 9,171 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-17.6%) | Down 16,112 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 Cappadonia 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 | #140,157 | #156,269 | -11.5% |
| Count | 119 | 98 | -17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cappadonia bearers went from 119 to 98 (-17.6% change). The surname moved down 16,112 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #156,269.
FAQ
Cappadonia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cappadonia?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Cappadonia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Cappadonia?
Cappadonia ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Cappadonia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Cappadonia.
Has Cappadonia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cappadonia went from 119 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 21 (-17.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Cappadonia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappadonia, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cappadonia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cappadonia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (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 Cappadonia (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 Cappadonia mean?
A surname originating from Cappadocia, an ancient region of central Anatolia. 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 Cappadonia (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Cappadonia?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.