2000
#41,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 492
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Cappo
A habitational surname derived from an Italian place named after the Latin word "caput" meaning head or chief.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 533 Americans carry the last name Cappo. That puts it at #48,977 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 643,066 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cappo 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
533
1 in 643,066
Census rank
#48,977
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
465
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 465 bearers of the surname Cappo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48977th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cappo
The surname Cappo has its origins in Italy, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "cappa," which means "cape" or "cloak," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked as a cloak maker or seller.
One of the earliest known references to the name Cappo can be found in the Venetian archives from the late 15th century, where a certain Giovanni Cappo is mentioned as a merchant engaged in the trade of textiles and fabrics. This historical record provides insight into the potential occupation associated with the surname and its geographical roots in the Venetian region of Italy.
In the late 17th century, a notable individual named Giacomo Cappo (1635-1711) was a renowned architect and sculptor from the city of Vicenza, famous for his contribution to the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the Veneto region. His artistic legacy has left a significant imprint on the architectural heritage of northern Italy.
During the 18th century, the Cappo family name gained prominence in the city of Naples, where a certain Vincenzo Cappo (1722-1798) was a respected lawyer and legal scholar. His treatises on civil law and jurisprudence were widely regarded and studied by legal professionals of his time.
Moving into the 19th century, one of the most notable figures bearing the Cappo surname was Giuseppe Cappo (1833-1900), a prominent Italian politician and statesman from the region of Piedmont. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and played a crucial role in the unification of Italy, working closely with the influential leaders of the Risorgimento movement.
Another historical figure worth mentioning is Antonio Cappo (1866-1943), a renowned Italian explorer and adventurer who led several expeditions to the African continent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His detailed accounts and journals of his travels provided valuable insights into the cultures and landscapes of the regions he visited, contributing significantly to the field of anthropology and geography.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with the Cappo surname throughout history, spanning various professions, artistic pursuits, and geographical regions within Italy. While the name's origins can be traced back to the 16th century, its legacy has endured and left an indelible mark across different spheres of influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cappo
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cappo 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 Cappo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 421
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 23
- Two or more races3.0% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cappo
Cappo 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
#51,941
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 400
-92 bearers (-18.7%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 10,284 places
2020
#48,977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 465
+65 bearers (+16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 2,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #41,657 | 492 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #51,941 | 400 | 0.14 | -92 bearers (-18.7%) | Down 10,284 places |
| 2020 | #48,977 | 465 | 0.16 | +65 bearers (+16.3%) | Up 2,964 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 Cappo 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 | #51,941 | #48,977 | 5.7% |
| Count | 400 | 465 | 16.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.16 | 11.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cappo bearers went from 400 to 465 (+16.3% change). The surname moved up 2,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #51,941 to #48,977.
FAQ
Cappo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cappo?
Name Census estimates that about 533 living Americans carry the surname Cappo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 643,066 residents.
How common is Cappo?
Cappo ranks #48,977 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 465 people with the surname Cappo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (533), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Cappo.
Has Cappo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cappo went from 400 recorded bearers to 465. That is an increase of 65 (+16.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #51,941 to #48,977.
What does the Census say about the background of Cappo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cappo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Cappo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (421 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cappo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Cappo (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 Cappo mean?
A habitational surname derived from an Italian place named after the Latin word "caput" meaning head or chief. 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 Cappo (0.16 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 are called Cappo?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Cappo is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.