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

Nappi, 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 Nappi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nappi in America

Nappi is the 13306th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nappi surname appeared 2,292 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 Nappi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nappi 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 Nappi

The surname Nappi has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Lazio. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 10th and 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Latin word "napus," which means "turnip" or "small root vegetable."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nappi surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Benedictine monastery of Cava de' Tirreni in Campania. This document, dated around the 11th century, mentions a certain "Petrus Nappi" who was a landowner in the area.

Another historical reference to the Nappi name is in the Libro Rosso di Capua, a manuscript from the 13th century that served as a register of feudal rights and obligations in the Principality of Capua. Here, the name "Nappi" is associated with several families holding fiefs in the region.

During the Renaissance period, the Nappi family gained prominence in the city of Naples. One notable figure was Gian Vincenzo Nappi, a lawyer and historian who lived from 1538 to 1614. He authored several works on the history and legal customs of Naples.

In the 17th century, the Nappi surname can be found in various records from the Papal States, particularly in the areas around Rome. One example is the artist Francesco Nappi, who was born in 1614 and is known for his religious paintings and frescoes in Roman churches.

In the 19th century, Giuseppe Nappi, born in 1804 in Naples, was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Italian parliament during the early years of the unified Italian state.

Another notable figure with the Nappi surname was the Italian opera singer Giulia Nappi, born in 1860. She performed in various opera houses across Europe and was particularly acclaimed for her roles in works by Verdi and Puccini.

The Nappi surname has also been associated with several place names in Italy, such as the town of Nappi in the province of Salerno and the village of Nappoli in the province of Avellino. These place names likely derived from the same root as the surname, further reinforcing its connection to the regions of Campania and Lazio.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nappi

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

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

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

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