Frequency: (918)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
Italian: from a diminutive of cappa ‘cape’, ‘hood’, ‘hat’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker or vendor of capes or hoods, or a nickname for someone who wore a distinctive cape or hat.
GIVEN NAMES: Italian 15%. Angelo (10), Salvatore (5), Vito (3), Giuseppe (2), Alessandro, Antonino, Antonio, Domenic, Domenico, Gaspare, Gasper.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
