Explore the Family Name Kapitan

The meaning of Kapitan

1. Czech and Slovak (Kapitán; Slovak also Kapitáň); Polish, Croatian, Slovenian, and German: status name from a title meaning ‘captain’ (see Captain). 2. American shortened form of Hungarian Kapitány, a cognate of 1 above. 3. Rusyn and Ukrainian: status name from kapitan, a title meaning ‘captain’ (compare 1 above); or from an altered form of the personal name Kapiton, which is derived from Latin capito ‘one that has a large head’ (from caput ‘head’). 4. American shortened and altered form of Greek Kapetanos, status name derived from Italian (Venetian) capitano ‘captain’, or of its patronymic and other derivatives, such as Kapetanakis and Kapetanellis. Compare Capitan.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Kapitan experienced a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was the 50055th most popular surname in the United States with 393 occurrences. By 2010, its rank had slipped to 53204, reflecting a decrease of 6.29%. The count of individuals bearing this surname also dipped slightly from 393 to 389, marking a drop of 1.02%. As a proportion per 100,000 people, the occurrence of the name Kapitan fell by 13.33%, from 0.15 to 0.13.

20002010Change
Rank#50,055#53,204-6.29%
Count393389-1.02%
Proportion per 100k0.150.13-13.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kapitan

Delving into the ethnicity associated with the surname Kapitan, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that almost all bearers of this name identified as White in both 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 95.93% of Kapitans were White, a figure that rose slightly to 97.43% by 2010. There was a small percentage (1.27%) of Asians/Pacific Islanders with this surname in 2000, however, this dropped to zero by 2010. During these years, there were no recorded instances of the surname among those identifying as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native. Similarly, the surname wasn't found among people claiming two or more races.

20002010Change
White95.93%97.43%1.56%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.27%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%