2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Laperna
A name derived from the Italian word for a shellfish or scallop.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Laperna. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Laperna 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Laperna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Laperna, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Laperna
The surname Laperna has its origins in Italy, specifically in the region of Campania. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "laperna," which refers to a type of fish found in the Mediterranean Sea. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with someone who worked as a fisherman or was involved in the fishing trade.
Laperna is a relatively rare surname, and there are limited historical records documenting its earliest appearances. However, some scholars have traced it back to the 14th century in the coastal town of Amalfi, which was a prominent maritime center during the Middle Ages. The name may have been adopted by families who resided in or near Amalfi and were engaged in fishing or related maritime activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Laperna can be found in a document dated 1412, which mentions a certain Nicola Laperna, a fisherman from the town of Cetara, located near Amalfi. This document provides evidence of the name's existence and its connection to the fishing industry in the region.
In the late 16th century, a notable figure named Girolamo Laperna (1552-1619) was born in Naples. He was a renowned physician and philosopher who wrote several treatises on medical topics, including a work titled "De Febribus" (On Fevers), which was widely studied and referenced by medical scholars of the time.
Another individual of note was Antonio Laperna (1679-1745), a painter from the town of Salerno. He was known for his religious artworks, many of which can still be found in churches throughout the Campania region.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure named Pietro Laperna (1812-1884) emerged from the town of Ravello, located near Amalfi. He was a successful businessman and landowner, and his family played a significant role in the local economy and politics.
Lastly, a more recent figure of note was Vincenzo Laperna (1902-1982), a lawyer and politician from Naples. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in various legal and political initiatives in the mid-20th century.
These examples demonstrate the historical presence of the surname Laperna, primarily in the Campania region of Italy, and its connections to various professions and fields, such as fishing, medicine, art, business, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Laperna
Among Census respondents with the surname Laperna, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Laperna 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 Laperna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 6
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Laperna
Laperna 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
-2 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 9,258 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-20 bearers (-14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,001 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | -2 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 9,258 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.9%) | Down 19,001 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 Laperna 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 | #127,494 | #146,495 | -14.9% |
| Count | 134 | 114 | -14.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Laperna bearers went from 134 to 114 (-14.9% change). The surname moved down 19,001 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #146,495.
FAQ
Laperna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Laperna?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Laperna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Laperna?
Laperna ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Laperna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Laperna.
Has Laperna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Laperna went from 134 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Laperna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Laperna, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Laperna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Laperna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (5.3%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Laperna (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 Laperna mean?
A name derived from the Italian word for a shellfish or scallop. 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 Laperna (0.04 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 common is the surname Laperna?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Laperna at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.