2000
#33,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 638
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Papaleo
An Italian surname meaning "young pope" or "little pope".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 696 Americans carry the last name Papaleo. That puts it at #39,170 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 492,463 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Papaleo 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
696
1 in 492,463
Census rank
#39,170
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
607
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 607 bearers of the surname Papaleo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39170th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Papaleo, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Papaleo
The surname Papaleo is of Italian origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Calabria and Sicily, where it was commonly used as an occupational name for those involved in the cultivation of grapes and the production of wine.
The name itself is derived from the Italian word "papaleo," which means "priest's son." This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have been the offspring of members of the clergy, who were often referred to as "papa" or "pape" in Italian.
Historical records show that the Papaleo surname first appeared in the 14th century, with mentions in various documents and manuscripts from that time. One notable reference is found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of diplomatic documents from the city of Bari, which includes a record of a certain Nicolo Papaleo dated to the year 1370.
In the 15th century, the Papaleo name gained prominence in the southern Italian regions of Calabria and Sicily. Several individuals bearing this surname held positions of importance, such as Nicola Papaleo, a prominent landowner and military leader from Cosenza, Calabria, who lived during the mid-1400s.
The 16th century saw the Papaleo family continue to establish itself in various parts of southern Italy. One notable figure was Giovanni Papaleo (1520-1593), a renowned jurist and legal scholar from Reggio Calabria, who authored several influential works on Roman and canon law.
As the centuries progressed, the Papaleo surname spread to other parts of Italy and beyond. In the 18th century, Francesco Papaleo (1729-1809) was a respected painter and sculptor from Naples, known for his works depicting religious and mythological themes.
Another prominent individual with the Papaleo surname was Vincenzo Papaleo (1854-1923), a prominent Italian politician and statesman who served as a Deputy in the Italian Parliament and held various ministerial positions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the Papaleo surname has its roots in southern Italy, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide insight into the rich heritage and origins of this Italian surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Papaleo
Among Census respondents with the surname Papaleo, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Papaleo 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 Papaleo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 521
- Hispanic or Latino12.0% · 73
- Two or more races2.0% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Papaleo
Papaleo 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
#34,707
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 651
+13 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 1,017 places
2020
#39,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 607
-44 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 4,463 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,690 | 638 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,707 | 651 | 0.22 | +13 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 1,017 places |
| 2020 | #39,170 | 607 | 0.20 | -44 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 4,463 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 Papaleo 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 | #34,707 | #39,170 | -12.9% |
| Count | 651 | 607 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.20 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Papaleo bearers went from 651 to 607 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 4,463 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,707 to #39,170.
FAQ
Papaleo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Papaleo?
Name Census estimates that about 696 living Americans carry the surname Papaleo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 492,463 residents.
How common is Papaleo?
Papaleo ranks #39,170 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 607 people with the surname Papaleo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (696), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Papaleo.
Has Papaleo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Papaleo went from 651 recorded bearers to 607. That is a decrease of 44 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #34,707 to #39,170.
What does the Census say about the background of Papaleo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Papaleo, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Papaleo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (521 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Papaleo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Hispanic (12.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Papaleo (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 Papaleo mean?
An Italian surname meaning "young pope" or "little pope". 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 Papaleo (0.20 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 Americans have the surname Papaleo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.