2000
#11,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,436
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Chico
A Spanish nickname meaning "small" or "boy," which later became a surname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,461 Americans carry the last name Chico. That puts it at #10,172 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,033 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chico 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
3.5K
1 in 99,033
Census rank
#10,172
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,018 bearers of the surname Chico in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10172nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chico, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.6%. The next largest groups are White (12.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chico
The surname Chico originated in Spain, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "chico," meaning "small" or "young." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or descriptive name for someone of small stature or youthful appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Chico surname appears in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript detailing Spanish hunting practices and the names of prominent individuals involved in the sport. The manuscript mentions a certain "Juan Chico" from the region of Castile.
In the 15th century, records show a notable figure named Pedro Chico, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Pedro Chico played a crucial role in the exploration and settlement of the Caribbean islands.
During the 16th century, the Chico surname gained prominence in the Basque region of Spain. One notable bearer of the name was Juan Chico de Guzmán (1478-1550), a Spanish soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro.
The name Chico is also linked to several place names in Spain, such as Chico de Guzmán, a municipality in the province of Huelva, and Chico de Villa, a village in the province of Cuenca. These place names may have influenced the spread and adoption of the surname in their respective regions.
Another noteworthy figure with the Chico surname was Antonio Chico de Guzmán (1610-1668), a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraiture. He was active in Seville during the Golden Age of Spanish art.
In the 18th century, José Chico y Reina (1747-1823) was a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the governor of several provinces in Spain and participated in the Peninsular War against the French invasion.
Throughout its history, the Chico surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, soldiers, artists, and politicians, reflecting the diverse heritage and contributions of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chico
Among Census respondents with the surname Chico, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.6%. The next largest groups are White (12.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Chico 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 Chico surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino70.6% · 2,130
- White12.8% · 385
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.8% · 296
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.0% · 151
- Two or more races1.0% · 29
- Black or African American0.9% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chico
Chico 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
#9,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,308
+872 bearers (+35.8%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 1,986 places
2020
#10,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,018
-290 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 384 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,774 | 2,436 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,788 | 3,308 | 1.12 | +872 bearers (+35.8%) | Up 1,986 places |
| 2020 | #10,172 | 3,018 | 1.01 | -290 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 384 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 Chico 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 | #9,788 | #10,172 | -3.9% |
| Count | 3,308 | 3,018 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.01 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chico bearers went from 3,308 to 3,018 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 384 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,788 to #10,172.
FAQ
Chico surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chico?
Name Census estimates that about 3,461 living Americans carry the surname Chico. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,033 residents.
How common is Chico?
Chico ranks #10,172 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,018 people with the surname Chico. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,461), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Chico.
Has Chico become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chico went from 3,308 recorded bearers to 3,018. That is a decrease of 290 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,788 to #10,172.
What does the Census say about the background of Chico?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chico, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 70.6%. The next largest groups are White (12.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chico in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.6% (2,130 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chico appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (70.6%), White (12.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.8%). 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 Chico (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 Chico mean?
A Spanish nickname meaning "small" or "boy," which later became a surname. 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 Chico (1.01 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 share the surname Chico?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.