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

Naples, 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 Naples surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Naples in America

Naples is the 12566th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Naples surname appeared 2,463 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Naples.

We can also compare 2010 data for Naples 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 Naples

The surname Naples is a locational name that originated in Italy, specifically in the city of Naples, which is located in the Campania region of southern Italy. The name is derived from the Greek word "Neapolis," which means "new city." This suggests that the name was likely adopted by individuals or families who migrated from the city of Naples to other parts of Italy or Europe.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Naples can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various Italian documents and records. For example, in 1297, a certain Nicolo de Napoli was mentioned in a document from the city of Genoa. Similarly, in 1345, a Guglielmo di Napoli was recorded in a legal document from the city of Pisa.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Naples. One of the earliest was Giovanni da Napoli (c. 1300-1370), an Italian painter and sculptor who worked primarily in the Gothic style. Another was Girolamo da Napoli (c. 1520-1592), an Italian architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Naples and other parts of Italy.

In the 17th century, Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725), an Italian composer and musician, was born in Naples and is considered one of the leading figures in the Baroque era of classical music. A few centuries later, in the 19th century, Domenico Napoli (1810-1892) was an Italian painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting daily life in Naples.

More recently, in the 20th century, Guido Napoli (1911-1976) was an Italian film director and screenwriter who worked on several notable Italian films during the post-World War II era. He is particularly remembered for his collaborations with the acclaimed director Vittorio De Sica.

Throughout its history, the surname Naples has also been associated with various place names and locations in Italy, such as the Napoli province, the Gulf of Naples, and the ancient city of Neapolis, which is now known as Naples. Additionally, the surname has been spelled in various ways, including Napoli, Napoles, and De Napoli, reflecting the regional variations and linguistic influences in different parts of Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Naples

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

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

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

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