Find out how popular the last name Cera is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cera.
An occupational surname referring to someone who worked with wax or candles.
Cera, 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 Cera surname is from the 2010 census data.
Cera is the 21382nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Cera surname appeared 1,224 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cera.
We can also compare 2010 data for Cera 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 21382 | 23940 | -11.29% |
Count | 1,224 | 984 | 21.74% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.41 | 0.36 | 12.99% |
The surname CERA is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "cera," which means "wax." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the production or trade of wax, such as candlemakers or beekeepers.
In the early historical records, the name can be found in various Italian regions, including Tuscany and Umbria. One of the earliest known references to the surname CERA appears in a document from the 13th century, which mentions a family with this surname residing in the town of Gubbio, located in the province of Perugia, Umbria.
During the Renaissance period, the CERA name gained prominence in several Italian cities. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Giovanni Battista Cera (1590-1667), an Italian painter and architect from Mantua, who was known for his contributions to the Baroque style. Another notable figure was Antonio Cera (1640-1720), a Venetian engraver and cartographer who produced several maps and engravings of Venice and other Italian cities.
As the CERA family expanded and migrated throughout Italy, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, such as Cerra, Cerri, and Cerrato. These variations often reflected regional dialects or variations in pronunciation.
In the 18th century, the CERA surname gained recognition in the realm of literature with the birth of Prospero Cera (1736-1810), an Italian poet and playwright from Naples. His works, which included tragedies and comedies, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
Moving forward to the 19th century, a notable figure with the CERA surname was Giuseppe Cera (1812-1888), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian parliament and played a role in the unification of Italy.
Throughout its history, the CERA surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Cerano, a town in the province of Novara, Piedmont, and Cerro al Volturno, a municipality in the province of Isernia, Molise.
While these are just a few examples, the surname CERA has a rich history that spans centuries and encompasses individuals from various walks of life, including the arts, literature, politics, and beyond.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cera.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cera was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 41.99% | 514 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 10.70% | 131 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.06% | 13 |
Hispanic Origin | 45.42% | 556 |
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 Cera has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 41.99% | 44.21% | -5.15% |
Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 10.70% | 8.13% | 27.30% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 1.06% | 0.91% | 15.23% |
Hispanic | 45.42% | 46.24% | -1.79% |
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 Cera was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cera, please contact us.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/cera-surname-popularity/">Cera last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Cera last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 13, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/cera-surname-popularity/.
"Cera last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/cera-surname-popularity/. Accessed 13 May, 2025
Cera last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/cera-surname-popularity/.
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