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

Cerra, 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 Cerra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cerra in America

Cerra is the 19416th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cerra surname appeared 1,392 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 Cerra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cerra 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 Cerra

The surname CERRA originates from Italy, with its roots dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "cerrus," which means "holm oak," a type of evergreen oak tree found in the Mediterranean region. The name likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near or was associated with these oak trees.

The earliest known records of the CERRA surname can be found in various historical documents from the regions of Campania and Calabria in southern Italy. One notable mention is in a 15th-century manuscript from the city of Naples, where a certain Girolamo CERRA is listed as a prominent merchant.

In the 16th century, the CERRA name gained prominence in the Kingdom of Naples, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such person was Ottavio CERRA (1510-1583), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Royal Court of Naples.

During the 17th century, the CERRA family established themselves as landed gentry in the town of Cerreto Sannita, located in the province of Benevento. This town's name is derived from the Latin word "cerretum," meaning "oak grove," further reinforcing the connection between the CERRA surname and its arboreal origins.

In the 18th century, a prominent member of the CERRA family was Francesco CERRA (1723-1797), a Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Avellino from 1779 until his death. His ecclesiastical career and contributions to the religious life of the region were well documented.

As the CERRA surname spread throughout Italy and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Cerra, Cerra, and Cerre. One notable individual with this alternate spelling was the Italian artist and sculptor Giovanni Battista Cerre (1590-1654), who was renowned for his works in marble and terracotta.

Other notable individuals with the CERRA surname include Guido CERRA (1903-1986), an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his contributions to the neorealist movement, and Cristiano CERRA (born 1977), a contemporary Italian singer and songwriter who has released several successful albums.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cerra

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

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 Cerra 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 Cerra 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 Cerra was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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