Chico
A Spanish diminutive for "Francisco", meaning "little one".
Name Census estimates that about 836 living Americans carry the first name Chico. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chico today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chico births was 1977 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chico. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
836
~ 1 in 409,993 Americans
Peak year
1977
56 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
2020 SSA rank
#9,755
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Chico: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chico from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 320 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chico by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chico during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chicos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi recorded the most babies named Chico, while Kentucky, Alabama, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chico
The name Chico has its origins in the Spanish language, where it is a diminutive or nickname form of the name Francisco. The name Francisco itself derives from the Latin name Franciscus, which means "French" or "Frenchman." This connection to the name Francisco suggests that Chico may have initially been used as a familiar or affectionate form of address for someone named Francisco.
Chico is primarily associated with Spanish-speaking cultures and regions, particularly in Spain, Latin America, and parts of the United States with significant Hispanic populations. The use of diminutive forms of names is a common practice in Spanish, reflecting a cultural tendency towards warmth and informality.
While the name Chico does not have any particularly noteworthy historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been in use for several centuries and has been borne by various individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chico can be found in the 16th century, when it was used as a nickname for the Spanish explorer and conquistador Francisco Pizarro (c. 1476-1541), who led the conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru.
Another notable figure with the name Chico was the Mexican Revolutionary leader José Doroteo Arango Arámbula (1878-1923), better known by his nickname Chico, who played a significant role in the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century.
In the realm of sports, Chico Carrasquel (1923-2005) was a Venezuelan baseball player who played in Major League Baseball for several teams, including the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians, from 1949 to 1959.
In the world of music, Chico Álvarez (1933-2007) was a Cuban-American singer and composer who was known for his contributions to the Latin music genre of salsa.
Another notable figure with the name Chico was the Brazilian guitarist and composer Chico Buarque (born 1944), who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians and songwriters in Brazil.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Chico, demonstrating its long-standing usage and cultural significance, particularly within Spanish-speaking and Latin American contexts.
People
Chico + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chico as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chico: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chico?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 836 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chico going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 409,993 US residents.
Is Chico a common name?
We classify Chico as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 951 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chico most popular?
The single biggest year for Chico was 1977, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chico is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chico a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chico in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.