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

DiFelice, 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 DiFelice surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DiFelice in America

DiFelice is the 76768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DiFelice surname appeared 250 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 DiFelice.

We can also compare 2010 data for DiFelice 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 DiFelice

The surname DiFelice originated in Italy in the late medieval period. It likely derived from the Italian phrase "di felice" which translates to "of the happy one" or "of the fortunate one". The name may have referred to someone with a cheerful or optimistic disposition, or perhaps someone viewed as fortunate or blessed.

The earliest known bearers of the DiFelice surname were from the southern Italian regions of Campania and Calabria. Records from the 13th and 14th centuries show variations like "de Felici" and "di Felice" appearing in documents from towns like Naples, Salerno, and Cosenza.

One of the first documented instances of the DiFelice name was in a 1327 land deed from the city of Amalfi, which mentioned a "Nicolaus di Felice". Another early record was a 1387 tax register from Sorrento that listed a "Petrus de Felici".

By the 15th century, the DiFelice surname had spread to other parts of Italy, including the regions of Lazio, Abruzzo, and Sicily. A notable bearer was Giovanni DiFelice, a Neapolitan merchant born around 1430 who traded goods throughout the Mediterranean.

In the 16th century, the spelling "DiFelice" became more standardized. Francesco DiFelice (1521-1596) was a renowned philosopher and theologian from Palermo, Sicily. He authored several works on ethics and natural law.

Other historical figures with the DiFelice surname include Vincenzo DiFelice (1659-1724), a baroque painter from Naples known for his religious artwork, and Carlo DiFelice (1767-1829), an Italian patriot and soldier who fought against the French during the Napoleonic Wars.

As the DiFelice family spread throughout the Italian peninsula over the centuries, the name also took on variations based on regional dialects and customs, such as Defelice, Di Felice, and Difelici.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DiFelice

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

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

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

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