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

Esposito, 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 Esposito surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Esposito in America

Esposito is the 1576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Esposito surname appeared 22,789 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Esposito.

We can also compare 2010 data for Esposito 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 Esposito

The surname Esposito originated in Italy, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian word "esposto," which means "exposed" or "abandoned." The name was initially given to children who were abandoned and left at foundling homes or orphanages.

In the early days, foundling homes were often run by religious institutions, and the abandoned children were given surnames related to their circumstances. Esposito became a common surname in Naples and the surrounding regions of Campania, where many such foundling homes were located.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Esposito can be found in a 13th-century document from the city of Salerno, mentioning a certain "Petrus Espositus." This suggests that the name was already in use by that time in the southern Italian regions.

Over the centuries, the Esposito surname spread across Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania, Lazio, and Sicily. It became associated with several notable individuals, including Giambattista Esposito (1564-1639), a renowned Italian painter and architect from Naples.

Another prominent figure with the Esposito surname was Placido Esposito (1804-1859), an Italian revolutionary and patriot who played a significant role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification in the 19th century.

In the 20th century, Esposito gained further recognition with individuals like Francesco Esposito (1922-2001), an Italian film actor known for his roles in Spaghetti Western movies, and Michele Esposito (1855-1929), an Italian-American anarchist and labor leader who advocated for workers' rights in the United States.

The surname Esposito has also been associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, the town of Espositomonti in the province of Salerno is believed to be derived from the surname, reflecting the presence of the Esposito family in the region.

While the Esposito surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread worldwide due to Italian migration and diaspora communities. Today, it remains a prominent surname in Italy and among Italian-American communities, carrying with it a rich history and cultural significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Esposito

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

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

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

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