Explore the Family Name Capistrano

The meaning of Capistrano

1. Hispanic (mainly Philippines): from a shortened form of Spanish San Juan Capistrano, a personal name bestowed in honor of Saint John of Capistrano (1386–1456), a Christian saint from Capestrano in Italy. 2. Italian (southern): possibly a nickname from capo ‘head’ (from Latin caput) + strano ‘strange’ (from Latin extraneus), used to denote an eccentric person. Alternatively, a habitational name from a place called Capestrano, in L’Aquila province. This surname is rare in Italy.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Capistrano in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Capistrano has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 52,403rd most popular surname, but by 2010, it had jumped to the 33,410th position – an impressive increase of 36.24 percent. The number of individuals with this surname also rose sharply, from 372 in 2000 to 683 in 2010, marking an 83.6 percent surge. The proportion of people named Capistrano per 100,000 population also showed a healthy rise of 64.29 percent during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#52,403#33,41036.24%
Count37268383.6%
Proportion per 100k0.140.2364.29%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Capistrano

The analysis of the ethnic identity associated with the surname Capistrano, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, shows that the majority identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. This group grew slightly from 80.11 percent in 2000 to 81.41 percent in 2010. The proportion of those identifying as two or more races also experienced a steep rise from 2.15 percent to 4.39 percent. However, the proportion of those identifying as White saw a decline of 43.53 percent, while the Hispanic proportion fell by 8.32 percent. No changes were recorded for those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander80.11%81.41%1.62%
Hispanic10.22%9.37%-8.32%
Two or More Races2.15%4.39%104.19%
White7.26%4.1%-43.53%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%