2000
#4,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,028
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.98
Rare Last name
Volpe
An Italian surname meaning "fox," likely referring to someone cunning or with red hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,762 Americans carry the last name Volpe. That puts it at #4,518 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,118 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Volpe 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Volpe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 39,118
Census rank
#4,518
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,641 bearers of the surname Volpe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4518th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Volpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Volpe
The surname Volpe originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "volpe," which means "fox" in English. This name likely originated as a nickname for someone who was considered to be cunning or sly, akin to the attributes associated with the fox.
The earliest known records of the surname Volpe can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. The name was particularly prevalent in the city of Florence, where it was borne by several notable families.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Volpe appears in the Florentine Codex of 1292, which mentions a certain Gherardo Volpe. This document provides evidence of the name's existence during the late 13th century in the Florentine region.
In the 14th century, the Volpe family gained prominence in the city of Orvieto, located in the province of Terni, Umbria. The family was involved in the city's governance and held influential positions within the local administration.
During the Renaissance period, several individuals with the surname Volpe made significant contributions to the arts and literature. One notable example is the Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Volpe (1530-1598), who was renowned for his religious paintings and frescoes adorning churches in Venice and the surrounding areas.
Another prominent figure was the Italian playwright and poet Girolamo Volpe (1572-1629), who authored numerous comedic plays and satires that were widely popular during his time.
In the 18th century, the Volpe family produced a remarkable scholar and historian, Gioacchino Volpe (1692-1768). Born in Naples, he authored several influential works on the history of Italy and the Kingdom of Naples.
More recently, in the 20th century, the name Volpe was carried by the Italian politician and statesman Giovanni Volpe (1892-1968), who served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 1953 to 1954.
Throughout its long history, the surname Volpe has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, reflecting its enduring presence in Italian culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Volpe
Among Census respondents with the surname Volpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Volpe 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 Volpe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 6,952
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 421
- Two or more races2.2% · 171
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 55
- Black or African American0.4% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Volpe
Volpe 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
#4,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,847
-181 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.66
Rank movement Down 433 places
2020
#4,518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,641
-206 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 2.56
Rank movement Down 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,084 | 8,028 | 2.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,517 | 7,847 | 2.66 | -181 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 433 places |
| 2020 | #4,518 | 7,641 | 2.56 | -206 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 1 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 Volpe 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 | #4,517 | #4,518 | -0.0% |
| Count | 7,847 | 7,641 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.66 | 2.56 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Volpe bearers went from 7,847 to 7,641 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,517 to #4,518.
FAQ
Volpe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Volpe?
Name Census estimates that about 8,762 living Americans carry the surname Volpe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,118 residents.
How common is Volpe?
Volpe ranks #4,518 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,641 people with the surname Volpe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,762), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Volpe.
Has Volpe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Volpe went from 7,847 recorded bearers to 7,641. That is a decrease of 206 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,517 to #4,518.
What does the Census say about the background of Volpe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Volpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Volpe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (6,952 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Volpe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Volpe (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 Volpe mean?
An Italian surname meaning "fox," likely referring to someone cunning or with red hair. 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 Volpe (2.56 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 have the surname Volpe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.