2000
#90,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Improta
An Italian surname derived from the word "improta," meaning a rude or improper person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 234 Americans carry the last name Improta. That puts it at #95,802 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,464,762 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Improta 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
234
1 in 1,464,762
Census rank
#95,802
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
204
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 204 bearers of the surname Improta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 95802nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Improta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Improta
The surname Improta originates from Italy, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "improta," which translates to "promise" or "pledge." This name likely emerged as a descriptive surname, potentially referring to someone who was known for keeping their word or fulfilling their promises.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Improta can be found in the historical records of the Kingdom of Naples, where it is mentioned in a document dated back to the 13th century. During this time, the region was under the rule of the Angevin dynasty, and many noble families and commoners alike bore surnames linked to their professions, physical characteristics, or personal traits.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name Improta was Giovanni Improta, a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of Salerno. He was known for his extensive trade connections and played a significant role in the economic growth of the region during that period.
The Improta name also appeared in various historical records from the Renaissance era, such as the archives of the Papal States. One notable individual was Giacomo Improta, a skilled architect who lived in Rome during the 16th century. He was commissioned to design several churches and palaces, leaving a lasting impact on the cityscape.
Moving into the 17th century, the Improta family established itself as a respected lineage in the Kingdom of Naples. Ferdinando Improta, born in 1625, was a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Royal Court of Naples. His written works on jurisprudence were widely studied and influential during his time.
Another noteworthy figure was Margherita Improta, a celebrated opera singer who graced the stages of Italy in the late 18th century. Born in Naples in 1760, she was renowned for her powerful voice and captivating performances, earning her fame throughout the Italian peninsula.
As the surname spread across various regions of Italy, it underwent minor spelling variations, such as Improta or Impróta, reflecting local dialects and regional influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained consistent, rooted in the concept of a promise or pledge.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Improta
Among Census respondents with the surname Improta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Improta 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 Improta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 182
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 14
- Two or more races2.9% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Improta
Improta 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
#93,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
+7 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 2,873 places
2020
#95,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 204
+7 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 2,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #90,252 | 190 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #93,125 | 197 | 0.07 | +7 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 2,873 places |
| 2020 | #95,802 | 204 | 0.07 | +7 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 2,677 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 Improta 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 | #93,125 | #95,802 | -2.9% |
| Count | 197 | 204 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Improta bearers went from 197 to 204 (+3.6% change). The surname moved down 2,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #93,125 to #95,802.
FAQ
Improta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Improta?
Name Census estimates that about 234 living Americans carry the surname Improta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,464,762 residents.
How common is Improta?
Improta ranks #95,802 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 204 people with the surname Improta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (234), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Improta.
Has Improta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Improta went from 197 recorded bearers to 204. That is an increase of 7 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #93,125 to #95,802.
What does the Census say about the background of Improta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Improta, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Improta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (182 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Improta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (6.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Improta (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 Improta mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "improta," meaning a rude or improper person. 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 Improta (0.07 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 Improta?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.