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

Naputi, 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 Naputi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Naputi in America

Naputi is the 53204th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Naputi surname appeared 389 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Naputi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Naputi 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 Naputi

The surname NAPUTI has its origins in the Northern Mariana Islands, which are a group of islands located in the western Pacific Ocean. The name can be traced back to the ancient Chamorro language, which was spoken by the indigenous people of the Mariana Islands.

The word "Naputi" is believed to be derived from the Chamorro word "nå'puti," which means "white" or "light-colored." This suggests that the name may have originally been used to describe someone with a fair complexion or light hair color, which was likely a distinguishing feature among the native Chamorro population.

While there are no known historical references to the name NAPUTI in ancient manuscripts or records, it is believed that the name has been in use among the Chamorro people for several centuries. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Spanish colonial records from the 17th and 18th centuries, when the Mariana Islands were under Spanish rule.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname NAPUTI was Juan Naputi, a Chamorro chief who lived in the late 17th century on the island of Guam. He is mentioned in Spanish colonial records as having played a significant role in the negotiations between the Spanish authorities and the Chamorro people.

Another notable figure with the surname NAPUTI was Joaquin Naputi, a Chamorro leader and interpreter who lived in the late 18th century. He was instrumental in facilitating communication between the Spanish colonists and the Chamorro people, and his efforts were acknowledged in various Spanish records from that time period.

In the 19th century, a prominent individual with the surname NAPUTI was Jose Naputi, a Chamorro farmer and landowner who lived on the island of Saipan. He was known for his agricultural expertise and his contributions to the local community.

In more recent times, one of the most well-known figures with the surname NAPUTI was Edward Naputi Calvo (1938-2020), who served as the Governor of Guam from 1963 to 1969. He was the first Chamorro to hold the position of Governor and played a significant role in the political and economic development of Guam during his tenure.

Another notable individual with the surname NAPUTI is Bernadita Naputi Camacho-Dungca (born 1940), a Chamorro author and educator from Guam. She has written several books and articles aimed at preserving and promoting the Chamorro language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Naputi

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

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

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

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