2000
#13,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,161
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Napoleon
A surname of Italian origin, likely derived from the city of Napoli (Naples) or a place called Napoliono.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,027 Americans carry the last name Napoleon. That puts it at #11,409 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Napoleon 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
3.0K
1 in 113,232
Census rank
#11,409
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,640 bearers of the surname Napoleon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11409th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Napoleon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.6%. The next largest groups are White (29.4%) and Hispanic (10.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Napoleon
Among Census respondents with the surname Napoleon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.6%. The next largest groups are White (29.4%) and Hispanic (10.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Napoleon 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 Napoleon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American43.6% · 1,151
- White29.4% · 775
- Hispanic or Latino10.3% · 272
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.0% · 186
- Two or more races7.0% · 186
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 70
Timeline
Historical Census data for Napoleon
Napoleon 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
#11,928
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,624
+463 bearers (+21.4%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 1,077 places
2020
#11,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,640
+16 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 519 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,005 | 2,161 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,928 | 2,624 | 0.89 | +463 bearers (+21.4%) | Up 1,077 places |
| 2020 | #11,409 | 2,640 | 0.88 | +16 bearers (+0.6%) | Up 519 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 Napoleon 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 | #11,928 | #11,409 | 4.4% |
| Count | 2,624 | 2,640 | 0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.88 | -0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Napoleon bearers went from 2,624 to 2,640 (+0.6% change). The surname moved up 519 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,928 to #11,409.
FAQ
Napoleon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Napoleon?
Name Census estimates that about 3,027 living Americans carry the surname Napoleon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,232 residents.
How common is Napoleon?
Napoleon ranks #11,409 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,640 people with the surname Napoleon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Napoleon.
Has Napoleon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Napoleon went from 2,624 recorded bearers to 2,640. That is an increase of 16 (+0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,928 to #11,409.
What does the Census say about the background of Napoleon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Napoleon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.6%. The next largest groups are White (29.4%) and Hispanic (10.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Napoleon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.6% (1,151 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Napoleon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (43.6%), White (29.4%), Hispanic (10.3%). 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 Napoleon (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 Napoleon mean?
A surname of Italian origin, likely derived from the city of Napoli (Naples) or a place called Napoliono. 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 Napoleon (0.88 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 share the surname Napoleon?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.