2000
#10,344
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,852
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Cappello
An Italian occupational surname referring to a hat maker or seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,865 Americans carry the last name Cappello. That puts it at #11,961 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 119,635 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cappello 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cappello with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 119,635
Census rank
#11,961
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,498 bearers of the surname Cappello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11961st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappello, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cappello
The surname Cappello originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Tuscany and Veneto, during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Italian word "cappello," which means "hat" or "cap." It is believed that the name was initially given as a nickname to individuals who were hat makers or sellers, or perhaps to those who were known for wearing distinctive hats.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cappello can be found in the Florentine tax records of the 14th century, where several individuals with this surname were listed. The name also appears in historical documents from Venice, suggesting that it was present in both northern and central Italy during the Renaissance era.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Bernardo Cappello (1457-1508) served as the Doge of Venice from 1486 to 1488. He played a significant role in the Republic of Venice's political and diplomatic affairs during his tenure.
Another prominent individual with the surname Cappello was Bianca Cappello (1548-1587), a Venetian noblewoman who became the second wife of Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Their marriage caused a scandal due to Bianca's commoner status, but their love story has been romanticized in literature and art.
In the 17th century, Vincenzo Cappello (1615-1686) was a Venetian diplomat and author who served as the ambassador of the Republic of Venice to various European courts. He is known for his diplomatic writings and his works on Venetian history and politics.
During the 18th century, Pietro Cappello (1724-1804) was a prominent Venetian architect and engineer. He designed several important buildings in Venice, including the Church of Santa Maria della Salute and the Palazzo Cappello-Labia, which still stands today.
Another notable figure was Agostino Cappello (1766-1833), an Italian philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Padua. He made significant contributions to the fields of metaphysics and ethics.
The surname Cappello has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, from nobility and diplomats to artists and scholars. While the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has evolved to become a distinguished Italian surname with a rich cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cappello
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappello, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cappello 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 Cappello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,311
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 114
- Two or more races1.9% · 48
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cappello
Cappello 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
#10,743
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,971
+119 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 399 places
2020
#11,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,498
-473 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 1,218 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,344 | 2,852 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,743 | 2,971 | 1.01 | +119 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 399 places |
| 2020 | #11,961 | 2,498 | 0.84 | -473 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 1,218 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 Cappello 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 | #10,743 | #11,961 | -11.3% |
| Count | 2,971 | 2,498 | -15.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.84 | -17.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cappello bearers went from 2,971 to 2,498 (-15.9% change). The surname moved down 1,218 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,743 to #11,961.
FAQ
Cappello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cappello?
Name Census estimates that about 2,865 living Americans carry the surname Cappello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 119,635 residents.
How common is Cappello?
Cappello ranks #11,961 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 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 2,498 people with the surname Cappello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,865), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 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 Cappello.
Has Cappello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cappello went from 2,971 recorded bearers to 2,498. That is a decrease of 473 (-15.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,743 to #11,961.
What does the Census say about the background of Cappello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappello, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Cappello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,311 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cappello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Cappello (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 Cappello mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a hat maker or seller. 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 Cappello (0.84 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 Cappello?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.