Capus
An invented name with no clear meaning in any language.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Capus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Capus today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Capus births was 1910 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Capus. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Capus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1910
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1910 SSA rank
#1,630
Tracked since 1910
Popularity
Capus: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Capus by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Capus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Capus
The name Capus traces its origins to ancient Rome, where it was a Latin name derived from the word "caput," meaning "head." It was initially used as a nickname or cognomen for individuals who were born with an unusually large or distinctive head.
In the early days of the Roman Republic, the name Capus was primarily associated with members of the plebeian class, as it was considered a somewhat humorous or informal appellation. However, as time passed, the name gained wider acceptance and was adopted by some patrician families as well.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Capus appears in the writings of the Roman historian Livy, who mentioned a certain Capus Sempronius, a military tribune who fought valiantly during the Second Punic War against Hannibal in the 3rd century BC.
Another notable bearer of the name was Capus Claudius Pulcher, a Roman consul who lived in the 1st century BC. He was a controversial figure known for defying religious traditions and suffering a disastrous naval defeat against the Carthaginians during the First Punic War.
In the later years of the Roman Empire, the name Capus became associated with Christianity, as it was borne by several early martyrs and saints. One such figure was Saint Capus of Asti, who lived in the 4th century AD and was revered as the patron saint of that Italian city.
During the Middle Ages, the name Capus fell out of widespread use but was occasionally revived by scholars and ecclesiastics who admired its classical roots. One example is Capus Parisi, a 12th-century French theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris.
In more recent times, the name Capus has been sporadically used, though it remains relatively uncommon. One notable bearer was the French playwright and novelist Marcel Capus (1869-1928), whose works included the play "La Veine" and the novel "Qui perd gagne."
Other individuals named Capus include the American author and screenwriter Robert Capus (born 1954), best known for the novel and film "The Messenger," and the French philosopher and essayist René Capus (1912-1993), who was a member of the Académie française.
While the name Capus may not be as widely recognized as some other ancient Roman names, its enduring presence throughout history reflects its unique linguistic and cultural legacy, spanning from the classical era to the present day.
People
Capus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Capus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Capus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Capus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Capus going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Capus a common name?
We classify Capus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Capus most popular?
The single biggest year for Capus was 1910, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Capus is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Capus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Capus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Capus in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Capus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Capus in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Capus can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Capus?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.