2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lepone
A variant spelling of the Italian surname Lepore, derived from the Italian word lepore, meaning "hare".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Lepone. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lepone 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Lepone in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lepone, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lepone
The surname LEPONE originated in Italy, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "lepus," meaning "hare" or "rabbit." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who had some association with these animals, perhaps as a hunter, breeder, or even as a nickname based on physical characteristics.
In the early days, the name was predominantly found in the regions of Lazio and Campania, particularly in areas around Rome and Naples. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with mentions in various municipal records and historical documents from these regions.
One notable historical reference to the LEPONE surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of documents from the city of Bari, dating back to the 11th century. This record includes the name "Lepone" in several land transaction records, indicating that individuals bearing this surname had established themselves as landowners or residents in the area.
The earliest recorded individual with the LEPONE surname was Giacomo LEPONE, born in 1328 in the town of Velletri, near Rome. He was a renowned scholar and philosopher who authored several treatises on classical literature and theology.
Another notable figure was Niccolò LEPONE, born in 1482 in Naples. He was a renowned architect and engineer who contributed to the design and construction of several historic landmarks in the city, including the Palazzo Reale di Napoli and the Basilica of Santa Chiara.
In the 16th century, a family branch of the LEPONE surname can be traced to the town of Amalfi, located on the picturesque Amalfi Coast. One of the most prominent members of this branch was Girolamo LEPONE, born in 1539, who served as a respected judge and magistrate in the region.
During the Renaissance period, the LEPONE surname gained further recognition with the birth of Domenico LEPONE in 1578 in Rome. He was a celebrated painter and fresco artist, whose works adorned many churches and palaces throughout Italy.
In the 18th century, the LEPONE surname gained prominence in the field of music with the birth of Antonio LEPONE in 1712 in Naples. He was a renowned composer and violinist who contributed significantly to the development of the Neapolitan school of music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lepone
Among Census respondents with the surname Lepone, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Lepone 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 Lepone surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 104
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lepone
Lepone 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,606 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,243 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,606 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 5,243 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 Lepone 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 | #148,347 | #153,590 | -3.5% |
| Count | 111 | 104 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lepone bearers went from 111 to 104 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 5,243 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #153,590.
FAQ
Lepone surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lepone?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Lepone. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Lepone?
Lepone ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Lepone. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Lepone.
Has Lepone become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lepone went from 111 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Lepone?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lepone, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Lepone in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lepone appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Lepone (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 Lepone mean?
A variant spelling of the Italian surname Lepore, derived from the Italian word lepore, meaning "hare". 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 Lepone (0.03 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 people are called Lepone?
Want to know how many people are called Lepone? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.