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

DeFelice, 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 DeFelice surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeFelice in America

DeFelice is the 8559th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeFelice surname appeared 3,848 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname DeFelice.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeFelice 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 DeFelice

The surname DeFelice originated in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. It is derived from the Latin name "Felix," which means "happy" or "lucky." The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages, when surnames began to be adopted in Italy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DeFelice can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Benedictine monastery of Cava dei Tirreni in Campania. This codex, dating back to the 11th century, mentions individuals with the surname DeFelice.

The name DeFelice is also closely associated with the town of Cerreto Sannita in the province of Benevento, Campania. Historical records indicate that a noble family bearing the DeFelice name resided in this town during the 16th and 17th centuries.

A notable figure from the DeFelice family was Vincenzo DeFelice, born in Cerreto Sannita in 1562. He was a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in Naples and authored several works on jurisprudence.

Another individual of note was Nicola DeFelice, a Catholic priest and theologian from Calabria, who lived in the 18th century. He authored several theological treatises and was known for his erudition and piety.

In the 19th century, Giuseppe DeFelice (1832-1912) was a prominent Italian politician and lawyer from Campania. He served as a member of the Italian parliament and was actively involved in the Risorgimento movement for Italian unification.

The name DeFelice is also found in other parts of Italy, such as Sicily and Piedmont, likely due to migration patterns throughout the centuries. Variations of the spelling include De Felice, De Felici, and Defelici.

While the surname DeFelice has its roots in southern Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through Italian emigration. Families bearing this name can be found in countries like the United States, Argentina, and Australia, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeFelice

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

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 DeFelice 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 DeFelice 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 DeFelice was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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