2000
#27,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 815
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Rare Last name
Cercone
A surname of Italian origin likely derived from the place name Cercone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,119 Americans carry the last name Cercone. That puts it at #26,353 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 306,304 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cercone 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
1.1K
1 in 306,304
Census rank
#26,353
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
976
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 976 bearers of the surname Cercone in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26353rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cercone, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cercone
The surname Cercone has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, possibly between the 11th and 13th centuries.
According to historical records, the name Cercone is derived from the Latin word "circinus," which means "a pair of compasses" or "a circle." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in crafts or occupations related to drawing circles or geometric shapes, such as architects, engineers, or artisans.
In the 14th century, there are mentions of individuals with the surname Cercone in various Italian documents and records. For instance, a certain Giovanni Cercone was listed as a landowner in the city of Naples in the year 1367. Additionally, a merchant named Matteo Cercone is recorded as having conducted trade activities in the port city of Genoa in the late 15th century.
The earliest known recorded example of the surname Cercone dates back to the year 1243, when a monk named Friar Cercone is mentioned in a manuscript from the Benedictine monastery in Monte Cassino, located in the Lazio region of central Italy.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Cercone. One such figure was Niccolò Cercone, an Italian architect and engineer who lived in the late 16th century. He was renowned for his work on fortifications and military architecture in various cities across Italy.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Girolamo Cercone, a 17th-century Italian painter from Naples. He was known for his religious and mythological works, many of which can still be found in churches and galleries throughout Italy.
In the 19th century, a writer and journalist named Carlo Cercone gained recognition for his contributions to Italian literature and journalism. He was born in Naples in 1815 and published several books and articles during his lifetime.
Furthermore, Pietro Cercone, born in 1842 in Palermo, Sicily, was a prominent Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament in the late 19th century.
Lastly, Vincenzo Cercone, a 20th-century Italian composer and musician from Naples, was renowned for his contributions to the Neapolitan song tradition. He was born in 1910 and composed numerous popular songs that celebrated the culture and traditions of his hometown.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cercone
Among Census respondents with the surname Cercone, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cercone 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 Cercone surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 891
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 47
- Two or more races3.1% · 30
- Black or African American0.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cercone
Cercone 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
#28,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 838
+23 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 694 places
2020
#26,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 976
+138 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 2,112 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,771 | 815 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,465 | 838 | 0.28 | +23 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 694 places |
| 2020 | #26,353 | 976 | 0.33 | +138 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 2,112 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 Cercone 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 | #28,465 | #26,353 | 7.4% |
| Count | 838 | 976 | 16.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.33 | 16.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cercone bearers went from 838 to 976 (+16.5% change). The surname moved up 2,112 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,465 to #26,353.
FAQ
Cercone surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cercone?
Name Census estimates that about 1,119 living Americans carry the surname Cercone. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 306,304 residents.
How common is Cercone?
Cercone ranks #26,353 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 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 976 people with the surname Cercone. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 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 Cercone.
Has Cercone become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cercone went from 838 recorded bearers to 976. That is an increase of 138 (+16.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #28,465 to #26,353.
What does the Census say about the background of Cercone?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cercone, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Cercone in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (891 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cercone appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Cercone (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 Cercone mean?
A surname of Italian origin likely derived from the place name Cercone. 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 Cercone (0.33 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 many people have the last name Cercone?
See how many people are called Cercone on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.