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

Vitale, 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 Vitale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vitale in America

Vitale is the 2725th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vitale surname appeared 13,220 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Vitale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vitale 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 Vitale

The surname Vitale originated from Italy, with its roots dating back to ancient Roman times. The name is derived from the Latin word "vitalis," which means "life" or "lively." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone who exhibited a vibrant or energetic personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vitale surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a medieval cartulary from the Monastery of Cava in southern Italy, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Vitalis" and "Vitale," indicating its longevity and geographical spread across the Italian peninsula.

During the Middle Ages, the Vitale surname gained prominence in various regions of Italy, particularly in the southern regions of Campania, Puglia, and Sicily. Records from this period show that members of the Vitale family held positions of importance, including noblemen, merchants, and landowners.

One notable figure from the 13th century was Vitale Michele, a renowned Sicilian jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge under the rule of Emperor Frederick II. His contributions to the legal system of the time were significant, and his works on Roman law were widely studied.

In the 14th century, the Vitale name appeared in the historical records of the Republic of Venice, where members of the family held influential positions in the city's governance and commerce. One such individual was Vitale Falier, a prominent Venetian merchant and diplomat who played a crucial role in establishing trade agreements with the Byzantine Empire.

As the centuries progressed, the Vitale surname continued to spread throughout Italy and beyond. In the 16th century, Giovanni Battista Vitale, a renowned architect from Palermo, Sicily, left his mark on the city's architectural landscape with his design of the Chiesa di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, a beautiful Baroque church.

Another notable figure was Tommaso Vitale, a Neapolitan painter who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His works, showcasing the Baroque style, adorned many churches and palaces in Naples and its surrounding regions, earning him recognition as a skilled artist of his time.

The Vitale surname has also been associated with various place names across Italy, such as Vitale di Montecorvino in the province of Foggia, Puglia, and Vitale di Reggio Calabria in the region of Calabria. These place names likely originated from the presence of Vitale families in those areas, reflecting their influence and ties to the local communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vitale

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

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

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

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