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

Traficante, 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 Traficante surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Traficante in America

Traficante is the 38754th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Traficante surname appeared 570 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 Traficante.

We can also compare 2010 data for Traficante 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 Traficante

The surname Traficante has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. It likely emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "trafficante," which means "trader" or "merchant." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the surname were involved in commercial activities, perhaps as traders or merchants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Traficante can be found in the archives of the city of Naples, dated back to the 15th century. The document mentions a certain Giovanni Traficante, a merchant who traded goods between Naples and other Mediterranean ports. Another early reference is found in a 16th-century tax record from the town of Reggio Calabria, which lists a family with the surname Traficante.

In the 17th century, the Traficante name appeared in various historical records from the region of Calabria. One notable individual was Domenico Traficante (1621-1698), a wealthy landowner and merchant who played a significant role in the local economy of the town of Cosenza.

As the name spread throughout Italy and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Traficanti, Trafficante, and Trafficanti. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the quirks of record-keeping at the time.

In the 19th century, the Traficante surname gained prominence with the birth of Giuseppe Traficante (1834-1912), a renowned lawyer and politician from Naples. He served as a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and was instrumental in shaping legal reforms during the early years of the unified Italian state.

Another notable figure was Vincenzo Traficante (1875-1941), a celebrated artist and sculptor from Calabria. His works, which often depicted scenes from everyday life in southern Italy, can be found in various museums and galleries across the country.

As Italian immigrants began to settle in other parts of the world, the Traficante surname spread to new regions. For example, in the late 19th century, a family by the name of Traficante established themselves in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where they became successful entrepreneurs in the import-export business.

Throughout history, the Traficante surname has been associated with individuals involved in various professions, including merchants, lawyers, artists, and politicians. While the name has its roots in southern Italy, it has since gained a global presence, reflecting the diverse and far-reaching impact of Italian culture and heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Traficante

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

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

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

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