2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zepponi
An Italian surname possibly derived from the word "zeppo" meaning stump or log.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Zepponi. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zepponi 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Zepponi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zepponi, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zepponi
The surname Zepponi has its origins in Italy, a country renowned for its rich and complex heritage. The name can be traced back to the northern regions of Italy, particularly in the area surrounding Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy. The exact time period when Zepponi first emerged is difficult to pinpoint, but it is often associated with the Middle Ages, a time when many Italian surnames began to take form as hereditary markers.
Zepponi likely derives from an old Italian word or a series of words combined over time. One prevailing theory is that the surname may be linked to the word zappa, meaning hoe or mattock, tools commonly used in agriculture. In this context, the name Zepponi may have initially been a nickname for someone who worked the land or had a prominent role in farming. The suffix -oni is a common augmentative in Italian, possibly implying a person of notable significance or stature within this context.
Historical references to this surname appear sporadically. One of the earliest recorded instances can be traced back to a land record in the 13th century in Modena, where a Giacomo Zepponi is mentioned as a landowner. This suggests that the Zepponi family had already begun to establish a presence and accumulate wealth in the region.
In the 15th century, a Marco Zepponi served as an advisor to the Duke of Ferrara, indicating that members of the Zepponi family had gained prominence beyond agriculture, venturing into political and administrative roles. Another notable figure is Bartolomeo Zepponi, who lived in the late 16th century and was recognized for his contributions to the arts, particularly as a patron of local painters and sculptors in Bologna.
By the 18th century, the Zepponi name had spread further, with records indicating that a family member, Maria Zepponi, had married into Venetian nobility, thus blending the Zepponi lineage with that of other influential Italian families. In the early 19th century, Francesco Zepponi made his mark as a distinguished military officer in the Napoleonic Wars, earning commendations for his tactical acumen.
Another important individual is Alberto Zepponi, a noted 19th-century architect known for his work on several key buildings in Milan, contributing to the urban development during Italy's unification period. His designs often incorporated classical elements combined with modern innovations, reflecting the transitional nature of the time.
Thus, the history of the surname Zepponi is deeply entwined with Italy's social and cultural evolution, from its agricultural roots to its emergence in the fields of politics, the arts, and beyond. The Zepponi name today carries a heritage rich with contributions to various facets of Italian life, marking the family as one of enduring significance in Italy's historical narrative.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zepponi
Among Census respondents with the surname Zepponi, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Zepponi 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 Zepponi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 103
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zepponi
Zepponi 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-5 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,749 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,058 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 14,749 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 2,058 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 Zepponi 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 | #151,532 | #153,590 | -1.4% |
| Count | 108 | 104 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zepponi bearers went from 108 to 104 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 2,058 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #153,590.
FAQ
Zepponi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zepponi?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Zepponi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Zepponi?
Zepponi ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Zepponi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Zepponi.
Has Zepponi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zepponi went from 108 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Zepponi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zepponi, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Zepponi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zepponi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Zepponi (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 Zepponi mean?
An Italian surname possibly derived from the word "zeppo" meaning stump or log. 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 Zepponi (0.03 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 last name Zepponi?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Zepponi on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.