2000
#3,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.76
Uncommon Last name
Caputo
Derived from the Italian word "caputo," meaning "obstinate" or "stubborn," likely referring to a persistent or determined individual.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,817 Americans carry the last name Caputo. That puts it at #3,666 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,687 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caputo 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 Caputo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,687
Census rank
#3,666
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.4K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,433 bearers of the surname Caputo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3666th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caputo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caputo
The surname Caputo is of Italian origin and dates back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania, Basilicata, and Calabria.
The name Caputo is derived from the Italian word "capo," which means "head" or "chief." It was likely a nickname or a descriptive name given to someone who was considered the leader or the head of a group or community. Over time, this nickname or descriptive name became a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caputo can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of medieval documents from the city of Bari in southern Italy, dated around the 11th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Caputo," "Caputi," and "Capuzzi."
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Caputo was mentioned in the historical records of the city of Naples. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs.
Another historical figure bearing the name Caputo was Francesco Caputo, a Renaissance-era architect and engineer from the city of Salerno. He was known for his contributions to the construction and fortification of various cities and castles in the Kingdom of Naples during the 15th century.
In the 17th century, a famous Italian composer and musician named Vincenzo Caputo gained recognition for his works in the Baroque style. He was born in Naples in 1612 and is known for his compositions for the church and the royal court.
The name Caputo has also been associated with various place names in southern Italy. For example, the town of Caputo Vecchio in the province of Avellino, Campania, is believed to have derived its name from the surname Caputo, reflecting the presence of families bearing this name in the area.
Throughout history, the surname Caputo has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including artists, writers, politicians, and military figures. Some notable examples include Antonio Caputo (1932-2014), an Italian politician and member of the European Parliament, and Giancarlo Caputo (born 1945), an Italian football player and manager.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caputo
Among Census respondents with the surname Caputo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Caputo 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 Caputo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 8,531
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 543
- Two or more races2.5% · 235
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 66
- Black or African American0.5% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caputo
Caputo 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
#3,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,257
+116 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 3.48
Rank movement Down 246 places
2020
#3,666
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,433
-824 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 3.16
Rank movement Down 183 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,237 | 10,141 | 3.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,483 | 10,257 | 3.48 | +116 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 246 places |
| 2020 | #3,666 | 9,433 | 3.16 | -824 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 183 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 Caputo 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 | #3,483 | #3,666 | -5.3% |
| Count | 10,257 | 9,433 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.48 | 3.16 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caputo bearers went from 10,257 to 9,433 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 183 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,483 to #3,666.
FAQ
Caputo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caputo?
Name Census estimates that about 10,817 living Americans carry the surname Caputo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,687 residents.
How common is Caputo?
Caputo ranks #3,666 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.16 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 9,433 people with the surname Caputo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,817), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.16 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 Caputo.
Has Caputo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caputo went from 10,257 recorded bearers to 9,433. That is a decrease of 824 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,483 to #3,666.
What does the Census say about the background of Caputo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caputo, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Caputo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (8,531 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caputo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Caputo (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 Caputo mean?
Derived from the Italian word "caputo," meaning "obstinate" or "stubborn," likely referring to a persistent or determined individual. 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 Caputo (3.16 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 Americans have the surname Caputo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.