Explore the Family Name Capitan
The meaning of Capitan
1. Spanish (Capitán): status name from capitán ‘captain’, a title denoting the master of a ship or an officer in the army, from Late Latin capitaneus ‘chief’, ‘principal’ from caput ‘head’. 2. Americanized form of Polish, Croatian, Slovenian, and German Kapitan, Czech and Slovak Kapitán or Kapitáň ‘captain’. 3. American shortened and altered form of Greek Kapetanos ‘captain’, or of its patronymic and other derivatives (see Kapitan). Compare Captain.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Capitan in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Capitan has risen over a decade. In 2000, it ranked 69,854th in commonality, but by 2010 it had climbed to 61,297th - a notable increase of 12.25%. Likewise, the count of individuals with this surname increased by 25.19%, growing from 262 in 2000 to 328 in 2010. The proportion of people named Capitan per 100,000 also saw growth, rising by 10% from 0.1 to 0.11.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #69,854 | #61,297 | 12.25% |
| Count | 262 | 328 | 25.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.1 | 0.11 | 10% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Capitan
The ethnic identity of individuals bearing the Capitan surname also experienced shifts between 2000 and 2010, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data. An enormous increase was reported in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, which rose by 183.10%, from 4.20% to 11.89%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Capitans identifying as White decreased by 10.29% from 46.56% to 41.77%. Those identifying as Hispanic saw a slight uptick of 8.93%, increasing from 16.79% to 18.29%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group experienced a decrease of 12.04%, falling from 30.15% to 26.52%. There were no changes reported for those identifying as Black or belonging to two or more races.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 46.56% | 41.77% | -10.29% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 30.15% | 26.52% | -12.04% |
| Hispanic | 16.79% | 18.29% | 8.93% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.2% | 11.89% | 183.1% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |