2000
#37,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 561
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Very Rare Last name
Cappetta
A surname derived from the Italian word "cappetta," meaning a small cape or cloak.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 620 Americans carry the last name Cappetta. That puts it at #43,067 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 552,830 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cappetta 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
620
1 in 552,830
Census rank
#43,067
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
541
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 541 bearers of the surname Cappetta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 43067th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappetta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cappetta
The surname Cappetta has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions such as Sicily and Calabria. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "cappa," which means "cape" or "cloak," suggesting that the original bearer of this surname may have been someone who made or sold capes or cloaks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cappetta can be found in a 14th-century document from the city of Palermo, Sicily, where a certain "Giovanni Cappetta" was mentioned as a merchant. Another notable reference comes from the 16th century, when a family with the surname Cappetta was recorded as residing in the town of Reggio Calabria, located in the region of Calabria.
In the 17th century, a Francesco Cappetta (1615-1690) was a renowned Italian painter from the city of Naples. His works can be found in various churches and galleries across Italy, showcasing his skill in religious and mythological themes. Another notable figure from this time period was Giovanni Battista Cappetta (1644-1721), a Sicilian composer and organist who served as the maestro di cappella at the Palermo Cathedral.
The name Cappetta has also been linked to certain place names in Italy, such as the town of Capetta in the province of Palermo, Sicily. This town's name is believed to have derived from the same root as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the region.
In the 19th century, a notable individual with the surname Cappetta was Nicola Cappetta (1822-1897), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies for several terms. He was actively involved in the Italian unification movement and played a role in the drafting of the Italian Civil Code.
Another individual of note was Giuseppe Cappetta (1879-1942), a Sicilian-American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the Italian-American community in New York City. He founded the Cappetta Brothers Importing Company and played a pivotal role in establishing the Italian-American Civic League.
Throughout its history, the surname Cappetta has maintained a strong presence in Italy, particularly in the southern regions of Sicily and Calabria. While it may have less widespread recognition globally, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of these Italian regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cappetta
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappetta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cappetta 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 Cappetta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 483
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 38
- Two or more races1.7% · 9
- Black or African American1.1% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cappetta
Cappetta 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
#38,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 575
+14 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 1,110 places
2020
#43,067
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 541
-34 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 4,583 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,374 | 561 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #38,484 | 575 | 0.19 | +14 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 1,110 places |
| 2020 | #43,067 | 541 | 0.18 | -34 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 4,583 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 Cappetta 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 | #38,484 | #43,067 | -11.9% |
| Count | 575 | 541 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.18 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cappetta bearers went from 575 to 541 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 4,583 positions in the national ranking, going from #38,484 to #43,067.
FAQ
Cappetta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cappetta?
Name Census estimates that about 620 living Americans carry the surname Cappetta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 552,830 residents.
How common is Cappetta?
Cappetta ranks #43,067 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 541 people with the surname Cappetta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (620), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Cappetta.
Has Cappetta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cappetta went from 575 recorded bearers to 541. That is a decrease of 34 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #38,484 to #43,067.
What does the Census say about the background of Cappetta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappetta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Cappetta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (483 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cappetta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Cappetta (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 Cappetta mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "cappetta," meaning a small cape 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 Cappetta (0.18 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 have the surname Cappetta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.