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

Volpe, 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 Volpe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Volpe in America

Volpe is the 4517th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Volpe surname appeared 7,847 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Volpe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Volpe 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 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Volpe

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

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

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

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