Explore the Family Name Rapisarda

The meaning of Rapisarda

Italian: from an old personal name recorded as Rapisalpa in medieval documents, probably from a confusion of two distinct names derived respectively from ancient Germanic Rab- and Latin Salva-. The spelling Rapisarda (literally ‘he steals sardina’) is due to folk etymology. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Salvatore, Gaetano, Mario, Marisa, Orazio, Sal, Sergio.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Rapisarda has seen slight fluctuations in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 47,210th most popular in the United States, sliding to a rank of 47,966 by 2010, reflecting a decrease in popularity of 1.6%. However, the actual count of people with this surname increased from 423 in 2000 to 441 in 2010, marking an increase of 4.26%. Despite this growth, the proportion of people named Rapisarda per 100k fell slightly by 6.25%.

20002010Change
Rank#47,210#47,966-1.6%
Count4234414.26%
Proportion per 100k0.160.15-6.25%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rapisarda

In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the vast majority of individuals bearing the surname Rapisarda identify as White, with a slight increase from 95.51% in 2000 to 95.92% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic also saw a significant increase during this period, rising by 15.25% to make up 2.72% of the Rapisardas in 2010. In 2000, a small proportion (1.65%) identified as belonging to two or more races, but this figure dropped to zero by 2010. There were no recorded instances of Rapisardas identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White95.51%95.92%0.43%
Hispanic2.36%2.72%15.25%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races1.65%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%