Find out how popular the last name Caputo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Caputo.

Caputo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Caputo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caputo in America

Caputo is the 3483rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caputo surname appeared 10,257 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Caputo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Caputo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Caputo

The surname Caputo is of Italian origin and dates back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania, Basilicata, and Calabria.

The name Caputo is derived from the Italian word "capo," which means "head" or "chief." It was likely a nickname or a descriptive name given to someone who was considered the leader or the head of a group or community. Over time, this nickname or descriptive name became a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caputo can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of medieval documents from the city of Bari in southern Italy, dated around the 11th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Caputo," "Caputi," and "Capuzzi."

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Caputo was mentioned in the historical records of the city of Naples. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs.

Another historical figure bearing the name Caputo was Francesco Caputo, a Renaissance-era architect and engineer from the city of Salerno. He was known for his contributions to the construction and fortification of various cities and castles in the Kingdom of Naples during the 15th century.

In the 17th century, a famous Italian composer and musician named Vincenzo Caputo gained recognition for his works in the Baroque style. He was born in Naples in 1612 and is known for his compositions for the church and the royal court.

The name Caputo has also been associated with various place names in southern Italy. For example, the town of Caputo Vecchio in the province of Avellino, Campania, is believed to have derived its name from the surname Caputo, reflecting the presence of families bearing this name in the area.

Throughout history, the surname Caputo has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including artists, writers, politicians, and military figures. Some notable examples include Antonio Caputo (1932-2014), an Italian politician and member of the European Parliament, and Giancarlo Caputo (born 1945), an Italian football player and manager.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caputo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Caputo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Caputo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Caputo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Caputo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Caputo, please contact us.

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