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

Napolitano, 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 Napolitano surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Napolitano in America

Napolitano is the 4917th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Napolitano surname appeared 7,153 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Napolitano.

We can also compare 2010 data for Napolitano 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 Napolitano

The surname Napolitano originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Campania, where the city of Naples (Napoli in Italian) is located. The name is derived from the word "Napoletano," which means "from Naples" or "Neapolitan" in Italian.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Napolitano can be traced back to the 12th century in various historical documents and archives from the Naples area. These records often referred to individuals who had migrated from Naples to other regions of Italy or Europe.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Giovanni Napolitano, a scholar and jurist who lived in the 13th century. He is mentioned in several legal documents and treatises from that period, including the "Liber Augustalis," a compilation of laws and regulations from the Kingdom of Sicily.

In the 14th century, the name Napolitano appeared in the "Codice Diplomatico Napolitano," a collection of diplomatic documents and records from the city of Naples. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by that time.

During the Renaissance, several notable individuals bore the surname Napolitano. Andrea Napolitano (1450-1516) was a renowned Italian painter and architect who worked in Naples and other parts of southern Italy. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout the region.

Another prominent figure was Pietro Antonio Napolitano (1500-1570), a Neapolitan composer and organist who served in the court of the Viceroy of Naples. His compositions, including motets and madrigals, were widely performed and published during his lifetime.

In the 17th century, the name Napolitano was associated with the Neapolitan School of painters, which included artists such as Massimo Stanzione (1585-1656) and Luca Giordano (1634-1705). These artists were known for their distinctive styles and contributions to the Italian Baroque period.

During the 18th century, the surname Napolitano was also found in historical records related to the Kingdom of Naples, which was ruled by various dynasties, including the Spanish Habsburgs and the House of Bourbon. One notable figure from this era was Domenico Napolitano (1718-1790), a Neapolitan architect and engineer who designed several churches and palaces in Naples and its surrounding areas.

In the 19th century, the name Napolitano continued to be associated with individuals from the Naples region, including artists, writers, and intellectuals. One such figure was Filippo Napolitano (1818-1887), a Neapolitan poet and dramatist who wrote in the Neapolitan dialect and contributed to the preservation of local cultural traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Napolitano

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

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

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

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