Explore the Family Name Esposito

The meaning of Esposito

Italian: surname commonly denoting a foundling, meaning literally ‘exposed’ (from Latin expositus, past participle of exponere ‘to place outside’). At the present day this is the commonest surname in Naples and fourth in Italy as a whole. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Salvatore, Angelo, Sal, Antonio, Carmine, Rocco, Pasquale, Ciro, Domenic, Gennaro, Marco, Lorenzo.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Esposito experienced a slight reduction in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Ranked at 1,446th place in 2000, it fell to 1,576th by 2010, marking an 8.99% decrease. However, despite this drop in rank, the census reveals an actual increase in the number of individuals with this surname. In 2000, there were 22,651 people named Esposito, a figure that slightly rose to 22,789 by 2010 — a growth rate of 0.61%. The proportion of the surname per 100,000 people also decreased from 8.4 in 2000 to 7.73 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#1,446#1,576-8.99%
Count22,65122,7890.61%
Proportion per 100k8.47.73-7.98%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Esposito

The Decennial U.S. Census data on ethnicity for the surname Esposito exhibited shifts between 2000 and 2010. The vast majority of those bearing this surname identify as White, making up 94.61% in 2000 and dropping slightly to 93.58% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase of 31.89%, from 3.70% to 4.88%. Individuals with Asian/Pacific Islander ethnic identity also rose from 0.24% to 0.42%, a leap of 75%. Those identifying as Black modestly increased from 0.29% to 0.34%. However, those reporting two or more ethnicities decreased from 1.07% to 0.68%. American Indian and Alaskan Native representation marginally increased from 0.10% to 0.11%.

20002010Change
White94.61%93.58%-1.09%
Hispanic3.7%4.88%31.89%
Two or More Races1.07%0.68%-36.45%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.24%0.42%75%
Black0.29%0.34%17.24%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.1%0.11%10%

Esposito ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Esposito is Italian, which comprises 45.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (23.0%) and French & German (11.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, and Greek & Balkan.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Italian45.0%
British & Irish23.0%
French & German11.5%
Other20.4%
Esposito

Possible origins of the surname Esposito

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Esposito have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and United Kingdom.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Sicily, Italy70.10%
Campania, Italy69.90%
Calabria, Italy66.40%
Apulia, Italy64.70%
Abruzzo, Italy59.70%

What Esposito haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Esposito is J-L70, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-L70 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include E-V13 and J-CTS5368, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Russo, Klein, Marino, Rizzo, Schneider, Hoffman, Gentile, Mayer, Wolf, Gross.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Esposito surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

espositoPaternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Esposito have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Esposito

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Esposito" Surname 40.3%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Esposito

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Esposito" Surname 32.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Esposito

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Esposito" Surname 15.9%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Esposito

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Esposito" Surname 17.5%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Esposito?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Esposito are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Italian 58.3%

23andMe Users 57.2%