2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cupoli
An Italian surname derived from the word "cupola," meaning a domed or vaulted structure.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Cupoli. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cupoli 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Cupoli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cupoli, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cupoli
The surname Cupoli has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "cupola," which means "dome" or "cupola." This connection suggests that the name may have originated from individuals who lived near or worked on the construction of domed buildings, such as churches or cathedrals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cupoli can be found in the Sicilian town of Ragusa, where a family bearing this surname resided in the 15th century. Historical documents from this region mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Cupoli, Cupolino, and Cupolari.
The name Cupoli also appeared in other parts of Italy, including the regions of Tuscany and Calabria. In the 16th century, a Cupoli family was documented in the town of Castiglione della Pescaia, located in the province of Grosseto, Tuscany. Additionally, records from the 17th century indicate the presence of Cupoli families in the Calabrian towns of Reggio and Crotone.
One notable individual with the surname Cupoli was Francesco Cupoli, a Sicilian architect who lived in the 17th century (1652-1718). He was renowned for his contribution to the Baroque architectural style and was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and palaces in Sicily.
Another prominent figure was Giuseppe Cupoli (1854-1932), an Italian politician and lawyer from Messina, Sicily. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in the affairs of his hometown.
In the realm of literature, the name Cupoli is associated with Benedetto Cupoli (1816-1892), an Italian novelist and poet from Sicily. He is best known for his novel "I Beati Paoli," which explored the history and traditions of his native island.
The surname Cupoli also has a connection to the world of music through the opera singer Giuseppe Cupoli (1879-1954). Born in Palermo, Sicily, he gained recognition for his performances in various operas throughout Italy and other European countries.
Lastly, a notable figure from more recent times was Donato Cupoli (1900-1974), an Italian-American artist and sculptor. Originally from Calabria, he emigrated to the United States and became known for his work in public art installations and monuments across several states.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cupoli
Among Census respondents with the surname Cupoli, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cupoli 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 Cupoli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cupoli
Cupoli 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-17 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,523 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 24,523 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,441 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 Cupoli 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 | #149,395 | #147,954 | 1.0% |
| Count | 110 | 112 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cupoli bearers went from 110 to 112 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,441 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #147,954.
FAQ
Cupoli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cupoli?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Cupoli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Cupoli?
Cupoli ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Cupoli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Cupoli.
Has Cupoli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cupoli went from 110 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Cupoli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cupoli, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Cupoli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cupoli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Cupoli (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 Cupoli mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "cupola," meaning a domed or vaulted structure. 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 Cupoli (0.04 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 Cupoli?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.