DePolito last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of DePolito

An Italian surname possibly derived from a place name referring to a small town or village.

DePolito, 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 DePolito surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DePolito in America

DePolito is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DePolito surname appeared 115 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname DePolito.

We can also compare 2010 data for DePolito 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 144141 127186 12.50%
Count 115 124 -7.53%
Proportion per 100k 0.04 0.05 -22.22%

The history of the last name DePolito

The surname DePolito is of Italian origin, believed to have originated in the regions of Campania and Calabria in southern Italy. It likely emerged sometime during the late medieval period, between the 12th and 15th centuries.

The name DePolito is thought to be derived from the Italian word "polito," which means "polished" or "refined." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone with a polished or refined appearance or demeanor. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a polisher or refiner of various materials.

There are no known references to the surname DePolito in major historical documents like the Domesday Book or other early medieval records. However, variations of the spelling, such as "Polito" or "De Polito," can be found in some Italian municipal records and census rolls from the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in the towns and villages of Campania and Calabria.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname DePolito was Giovanni DePolito, born in the village of Castelvetere in Campania around 1570. He was a local landowner and farmer who played a role in the defense of his village during the Neapolitan Revolt of 1647 against Spanish rule.

In the 18th century, a notable figure was Antonio DePolito (1725-1802), a skilled stonemason and architect from the town of Vibo Valentia in Calabria. He contributed to the construction of several churches and public buildings in the region, including the Basilica of Santa Maria dell'Isola in Tropea.

During the 19th century, the DePolito family seems to have spread more widely throughout Italy, with records of individuals bearing the name in cities like Naples, Rome, and Milan. One prominent individual from this period was Giuseppe DePolito (1832-1912), a lawyer and politician from Naples who served as a member of the Italian Parliament in the late 19th century.

In the early 20th century, Vincenzo DePolito (1890-1968) was a renowned Italian sculptor and artist who was born in Calabria but later lived and worked in Rome. His works can be found in various museums and public spaces throughout Italy.

Another notable person with the DePolito surname was Maria DePolito (1901-1987), a writer and educator from Naples who published several novels and short stories that explored the lives and experiences of women in southern Italy during the first half of the 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DePolito

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

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 DePolito was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.65% 110
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 DePolito has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.65% 96.77% -1.16%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"DePolito last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 3, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/depolito-surname-popularity/.

"DePolito last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/depolito-surname-popularity/. Accessed 3 July, 2025

DePolito last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/depolito-surname-popularity/.

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