2000
#19,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,286
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Depaola
Of Italian origin, referring to someone from the town of Paola.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,515 Americans carry the last name Depaola. That puts it at #20,336 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 226,240 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Depaola 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
1.5K
1 in 226,240
Census rank
#20,336
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,321 bearers of the surname Depaola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20336th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Depaola, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Depaola
The surname DePaola has its origins in Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania and Calabria, with records dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian words "di" meaning "of" and "paola," which refers to the town of Paola in the province of Cosenza, Calabria. The name likely originated as a way to indicate someone's place of origin or residence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DePaola can be found in the records of the Archivio di Stato di Napoli (State Archive of Naples), which mentions a certain "Giacomo De Paola" in a document dated 1472. This suggests that the surname was already in use during the latter part of the 15th century in the Kingdom of Naples, which included parts of modern-day Campania and Calabria.
In the 16th century, the surname DePaola appeared in various records from the city of Salerno, located in the region of Campania. For example, a document from 1523 mentions a "Gian Battista De Paola" who was a merchant in the city. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of the region by that time.
One notable individual with the surname DePaola was Francesco DePaola, a Neapolitan painter who lived from 1623 to 1692. He was known for his religious works and frescoes, and some of his paintings can still be seen in churches and museums in Naples and its surrounding areas.
Another historical figure with this surname was Domenico DePaola, a Calabrian philosopher and writer who lived from 1768 to 1833. He wrote several works on philosophy, ethics, and literature, and was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time.
In the 19th century, the surname DePaola can be found in records from various parts of Italy, indicating that the name had spread throughout the country. For instance, a document from 1856 mentions a "Giuseppe DePaola" who was a landowner in the town of Lauria, located in the province of Potenza, in the region of Basilicata.
As for place names or older spellings, the town of Paola in Calabria was formerly known as "Paola Vecchia" or "Paola Antica," and the surname may have been spelled as "De Paola Vecchia" or "De Paola Antica" in some older records. Additionally, there are variations of the surname such as "Depaoli" and "Depaulo," which may have been used in different regions or time periods.
Overall, the surname DePaola has a rich history rooted in Italy, particularly in the regions of Campania and Calabria, and has been associated with various notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Depaola
Among Census respondents with the surname Depaola, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Depaola 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 Depaola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 1,170
- Hispanic or Latino8.9% · 117
- Two or more races1.4% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 7
- Black or African American0.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Depaola
Depaola 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
#20,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,327
+41 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Down 680 places
2020
#20,336
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,321
-6 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Down 211 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,445 | 1,286 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,125 | 1,327 | 0.45 | +41 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 680 places |
| 2020 | #20,336 | 1,321 | 0.44 | -6 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 211 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 Depaola 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 | #20,125 | #20,336 | -1.0% |
| Count | 1,327 | 1,321 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.45 | 0.44 | -1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Depaola bearers went from 1,327 to 1,321 (-0.5% change). The surname moved down 211 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,125 to #20,336.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Depaola
FAQ
Depaola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Depaola?
Name Census estimates that about 1,515 living Americans carry the surname Depaola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 226,240 residents.
How common is Depaola?
Depaola ranks #20,336 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.44 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 1,321 people with the surname Depaola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,515), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.44 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 Depaola.
Has Depaola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Depaola went from 1,327 recorded bearers to 1,321. That is a decrease of 6 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,125 to #20,336.
What does the Census say about the background of Depaola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Depaola, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Depaola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (1,170 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Depaola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (8.9%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Depaola (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 Depaola mean?
Of Italian origin, referring to someone from the town of Paola. 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 Depaola (0.44 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 share the surname Depaola?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.