Find out how popular the last name Alicea is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Alicea.

Alicea, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Alicea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alicea in America

Alicea is the 2917th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alicea surname appeared 12,287 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Alicea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alicea to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Alicea

The surname Alicea has its origins in Spain, with the earliest records of this name dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "alicia," which means "joy" or "happiness." The name likely originated in the regions of Andalusia and Castile, where it was commonly used during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest documented instances of the surname Alicea can be found in the Libro de Repartimiento, a census record from the 13th century that documented the distribution of land and property after the Christian conquest of the region. This record includes several individuals with the surname Alicea or variations of it, such as Aliceas or Alizea.

In the 15th century, the surname Alicea appeared in various municipal records and historical documents from the city of Seville, where it was associated with a prominent family. One notable individual from this era was Juan Alicea, a merchant and landowner who lived in Seville between 1452 and 1520.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the surname Alicea spread to other parts of the world, including the Americas. In the 16th century, records show that several individuals with the surname Alicea arrived in the Caribbean and established themselves in colonies such as Puerto Rico and Cuba.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Alicea in the New World can be found in the records of the Spanish colonization of Puerto Rico. In 1521, a man named Diego Alicea was listed as one of the first Spanish settlers in the town of Caparra, which later became the city of San Juan.

Over the centuries, the surname Alicea has been associated with several notable individuals, including:

1. Tomás Alicea (1678-1742), a Spanish military officer and governor of Puerto Rico from 1739 to 1742.
2. María Alicea (1790-1867), a Puerto Rican poet and writer known for her works that celebrated the island's culture and traditions.
3. Juan Alicea (1825-1901), a Cuban revolutionary and military leader who fought against Spanish colonial rule during the Ten Years' War (1868-1878).
4. Enrique Alicea (1898-1976), a Puerto Rican painter and sculptor whose works were heavily influenced by the island's native art and culture.
5. Catalina Alicea (1923-2010), a renowned Puerto Rican educator and advocate for bilingual education in the United States.

While the surname Alicea has its roots in Spain, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name found in various countries, including Puerto Rico, Cuba, the United States, and others. The name continues to be a testament to the rich cultural heritage and history of the Spanish-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alicea

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Alicea.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Alicea was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Alicea has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Alicea was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Alicea, please contact us.

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