2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Volpato
An occupational surname derived from the Italian word "volpe" meaning fox, possibly referring to a hunter or furrier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Volpato. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Volpato 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Volpato in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Volpato, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Black (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Volpato
The surname Volpato originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is derived from the Italian word "volpe," meaning fox. The suffix "-ato" suggests a connection or association with the animal. Therefore, the name likely referred to someone who either hunted foxes or had a physical or behavioral resemblance to the fox.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Volpato dates back to the 13th century in the city of Venice. In a document from 1274, a certain "Petrus Volpato" was mentioned as a merchant and landowner in the parish of San Polo. This suggests that the name was already established in the Venetian region during that time period.
In the 15th century, the Volpato family gained prominence in the town of Bassano del Grappa, located in the province of Vicenza. A notable member was Battista Volpato (1450-1513), a renowned architect and sculptor who contributed to the construction of several churches and palaces in the region.
During the 16th century, the Volpato name appeared in various records across northeastern Italy. For instance, in 1562, a merchant named Giovanni Battista Volpato was documented in the city of Udine, in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. This indicates that the surname had spread beyond its original Venetian roots.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Volpato was Giovanni Volpato (1735-1803), an Italian engraver and printmaker who worked in Rome. He is renowned for his intricate engravings of works by Renaissance masters, including Raphael and Michelangelo. His exceptional skills earned him the prestigious title of "Cavaliere" (Knight) from Pope Pius VI.
Another notable figure was Giambattista Volpato (1779-1837), an Italian painter from Bassano del Grappa. He was celebrated for his religious and historical paintings, many of which adorned churches and public buildings in his native region.
In the 19th century, the Volpato surname gained international recognition through the works of Gaspare Volpato (1804-1879), an Italian architect and engineer who designed several important structures in Vienna, Austria, including the iconic Ringstraße and the Vienna State Opera House.
Throughout history, variations of the surname Volpato have included Volpatti, Volpetti, and Volpin, reflecting regional differences in spelling and pronunciation. Additionally, the name has been associated with several place names, such as Volpago del Montello, a town in the province of Treviso, and Volpago, a hamlet in the municipality of Chioggia, near Venice.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Volpato
Among Census respondents with the surname Volpato, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Black (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Volpato 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 Volpato surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.8% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino11.1% · 12
- Black or African American4.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Volpato
Volpato appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,715 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 Volpato 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 | #145,220 | #150,935 | -3.9% |
| Count | 114 | 108 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Volpato bearers went from 114 to 108 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,715 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #150,935.
FAQ
Volpato surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Volpato?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Volpato. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Volpato?
Volpato ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Volpato. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Volpato.
Has Volpato become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Volpato went from 114 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Volpato?
Among Census respondents with the surname Volpato, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Black (4.6%). 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 Volpato in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Volpato appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.8%), Hispanic (11.1%), Black (4.6%). 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 Volpato (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 Volpato mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Italian word "volpe" meaning fox, possibly referring to a hunter or furrier. 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 Volpato (0.04 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 people are called Volpato?
If you just want to know how common the surname Volpato is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.