2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bucaria
An Italian surname derived from the word "beccaio" referring to a butcher or meat seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Bucaria. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bucaria surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Bucaria in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bucaria, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bucaria
The surname Bucaria has its origins in Italy, with the earliest records of the name dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Italian word "bucaro," which referred to a type of porous ceramic material used for making vases, bottles, and other household items.
During the medieval period, the Bucaria name was particularly prominent in the regions of Campania and Puglia, where the pottery-making industry thrived. It's likely that the name was initially associated with families or individuals involved in the production or trade of these distinctive ceramics.
One of the earliest documented references to the Bucaria surname can be found in a manuscript from the Archivio di Stato di Napoli, dated 1275, which mentions a certain "Giovanni Bucaria" as a merchant dealing in pottery goods. This suggests that the name had already established itself as a family identifier by that time.
In the 14th century, the Bucaria name appears in various records related to land ownership and transactions in the town of Grottaglie, a renowned center for pottery production in Puglia. A notable figure from this era was Nicola Bucaria, a master potter whose works were highly sought after by noble families and the Church.
As the centuries progressed, the Bucaria name spread to other regions of Italy, including Sicily and the northern regions. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the city of Faenza, a renowned center for majolica pottery, where they continued their involvement in the ceramic arts.
One of the most illustrious figures bearing the Bucaria name was Girolamo Bucaria (1551-1629), a celebrated painter and ceramist from Faenza. His works, which combined the artistic traditions of painting and pottery, were highly prized by collectors and patrons of the arts throughout Europe.
Another notable individual was Francesco Bucaria (1692-1768), a Sicilian architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Palermo, including the Church of San Salvatore and the Palazzo Alliata di Villafranca.
During the 19th century, the Bucaria name gained prominence in the field of literature with the writer and poet Vincenzo Bucaria (1819-1887), whose works explored themes of social justice and the plight of the working class in southern Italy.
While the Bucaria surname has its roots in the pottery and ceramic industries of medieval Italy, over the centuries, it has become associated with various professions and achievements, reflecting the diverse paths taken by families bearing this historical name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bucaria
Among Census respondents with the surname Bucaria, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bucaria bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bucaria surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bucaria
Bucaria appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,673 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-24 bearers (-17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,961 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 7,673 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-17.3%) | Down 21,961 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bucaria surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #123,796 | #145,757 | -17.7% |
| Count | 139 | 115 | -17.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bucaria bearers went from 139 to 115 (-17.3% change). The surname moved down 21,961 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #145,757.
FAQ
Bucaria surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bucaria?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Bucaria. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Bucaria?
Bucaria ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Bucaria. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bucaria.
Has Bucaria become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bucaria went from 139 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 24 (-17.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Bucaria?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bucaria, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bucaria in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bucaria appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (6.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bucaria (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bucaria mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "beccaio" referring to a butcher or meat seller. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bucaria (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Bucaria?
Want to know how many people have the last name Bucaria? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.