Lapetina last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Lapetina

A surname derived from the Italian word "lapetina," meaning a small stone or pebble.

Lapetina, 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 Lapetina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lapetina in America

Lapetina is the 63068th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lapetina surname appeared 317 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 Lapetina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lapetina 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank63068602304.60%
Count3173131.27%
Proportion per 100k0.110.12-8.70%

The history of the last name Lapetina

The surname LAPETINA is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Italian words "la petina," which means "the small stone" or "the little rock." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent stone or rocky area.

The earliest recorded instances of the LAPETINA surname date back to the 13th century in regions around Naples and the Amalfi Coast of southern Italy. Historical documents from this time show variations in spelling, such as "Lapetino" and "La Pietina," reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

In the 14th century, records show a Nicolo Lapetina who was a merchant from the coastal town of Amalfi. His successful trading ventures likely contributed to the spread and recognition of the LAPETINA name throughout the region.

During the Renaissance period, a notable figure with this surname was Pietro Lapetina, a renowned artist born in Naples in 1495. His frescoes and religious paintings can still be found in several churches across southern Italy.

In the 17th century, a branch of the LAPETINA family settled in the town of Positano on the Amalfi Coast. One member, Antonino Lapetina (1620-1689), served as the mayor of Positano and is mentioned in local historical accounts for his efforts in improving the town's infrastructure.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Giuseppe Lapetina, a lawyer and political activist born in Naples in 1785. He played a role in the revolutionary movements of the early 19th century, advocating for Italian unification and independence from foreign rule.

As the LAPETINA family continued to spread across Italy and beyond, the name became associated with various regions, including Sicily, where it is believed to have taken root as early as the 16th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lapetina

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

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 Lapetina was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only89.91%285
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races0.00%0
Hispanic Origin9.15%29

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

20102000Change (%)
White89.91%93.93%-4.37%
Black(S)%0.00%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0.00%0.00%
Two or More Races0.00%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic9.15%4.79%62.55%

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

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

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