2000
#9,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,313
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Cicero
An occupational surname referring to a person who grew or sold chickpeas, or a topographic name for someone living near such a field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,804 Americans carry the last name Cicero. That puts it at #9,404 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,104 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cicero 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cicero with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,104
Census rank
#9,404
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,317 bearers of the surname Cicero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9404th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cicero, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cicero
The surname Cicero is of Ancient Roman origin, derived from the Latin cognomen Cicero, which was bestowed upon a distinguished family of the Roman equestrian order during the 1st century BC. The name is thought to have originated from the Latin word "cicer," meaning chickpea, possibly alluding to a physical characteristic or occupation linked to the cultivation of this crop.
One of the earliest and most renowned bearers of this name was Marcus Tullius Cicero, the celebrated Roman statesman, orator, philosopher, and writer, who lived from 106 BC to 43 BC. His extensive writings and philosophical works played a pivotal role in shaping the development of Western thought and literature.
The surname Cicero can be traced back to various historical records and manuscripts from ancient times. It appeared in inscriptions on monuments, legal documents, and literary works authored by contemporaries of Marcus Tullius Cicero, cementing its place in Roman history.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Cicero continued to be used, particularly in Italy, where it was associated with noble families and scholars who revered the legacy of the great Roman orator. One notable figure was Quintus Tullius Cicero, a Roman politician and military leader who lived during the 1st century BC and was the younger brother of Marcus Tullius Cicero.
In the Renaissance period, the name Cicero gained renewed prominence as humanist scholars and writers drew inspiration from the works of Marcus Tullius Cicero. Prominent figures bearing this surname include Giovanni Battista Cicero (1518-1596), an Italian philosopher and humanist scholar, and Pier Vincenzo Cicero (1535-1612), an Italian jurist and writer.
As the surname Cicero spread throughout Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Ciceri, Cicieri, and Cicerone. These variations can be found in historical records and documents from different regions, reflecting the influence of local dialects and scribal traditions.
Other notable individuals with the surname Cicero include Quintus Tullius Cicero (102 BC-43 BC), a Roman statesman and military leader who served under Julius Caesar; Marco Tullio Cicerone (1528-1606), an Italian humanist scholar and philosopher; and Giacomo Cicero (1749-1812), an Italian painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cicero
Among Census respondents with the surname Cicero, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cicero 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 Cicero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 2,865
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 233
- Black or African American3.7% · 122
- Two or more races2.2% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cicero
Cicero 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
#9,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,399
+86 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 491 places
2020
#9,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,317
-82 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 159 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,072 | 3,313 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,563 | 3,399 | 1.15 | +86 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 491 places |
| 2020 | #9,404 | 3,317 | 1.11 | -82 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 159 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 Cicero 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 | #9,563 | #9,404 | 1.7% |
| Count | 3,399 | 3,317 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.11 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cicero bearers went from 3,399 to 3,317 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 159 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,563 to #9,404.
FAQ
Cicero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cicero?
Name Census estimates that about 3,804 living Americans carry the surname Cicero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,104 residents.
How common is Cicero?
Cicero ranks #9,404 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 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 3,317 people with the surname Cicero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,804), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 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 Cicero.
Has Cicero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cicero went from 3,399 recorded bearers to 3,317. That is a decrease of 82 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,563 to #9,404.
What does the Census say about the background of Cicero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cicero, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Black (3.7%). 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 Cicero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (2,865 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cicero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Hispanic (7.0%), Black (3.7%). 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 Cicero (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 Cicero mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who grew or sold chickpeas, or a topographic name for someone living near such a field. 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 Cicero (1.11 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 Cicero?
You can see how many people have the last name Cicero on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.