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

Napoleon, 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 Napoleon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Napoleon in America

Napoleon is the 11928th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Napoleon surname appeared 2,624 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 Napoleon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Napoleon 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 Napoleon

Napoleon is a surname of French origin, derived from the personal name Napoleon. The name itself is a combination of the Italian words "Napoli" (Naples) and the Greek word "león" (lion), meaning "lion of Naples." It is believed to have been originally used as a nickname or a descriptive name before becoming a surname.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Napoleon dates back to the 16th century in France. It is possible that the name may have been associated with individuals who had some connection to the city of Naples or the region of Campania in Italy.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Napoleon was Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), the French military leader and emperor who rose to power during the French Revolution. His surname became widely known throughout Europe and beyond due to his military campaigns and political influence.

Another notable person with the surname Napoleon was Napoleon III (1808-1873), the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, who served as the first elected President of France from 1848 to 1852 and later as the Emperor of the Second French Empire from 1852 to 1870.

In the 18th century, there was a French nobleman named Napoleon HenryРевилиоти (1718-1801), who was a diplomat and author. He is believed to have been of Greek descent, possibly from the island of Corfu.

Another individual with the surname Napoleon was Napoleon Orda (1807-1883), a French artist and painter who was known for his landscapes and portraits.

The name Napoleon has also been found in various historical documents and records, including parish registers and census records from different regions of France. However, it is important to note that the surname was relatively uncommon until it gained prominence due to the fame of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Napoleon

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

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

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

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