2000
#134,037
National surname rank
First available Census row
A surname derived from the Corsican word "cicu," meaning short or small.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Cico. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cico 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Cico in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cico, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
The surname CICO has its origins in Italy, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "cico," which means "small" or "tiny." The name was likely given as a nickname to someone of small stature or as a term of endearment to a child.
CICO is predominantly found in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, where it is thought to have originated. In some early records, the name is spelled as "Cicho" or "Ciccho," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
One of the earliest known references to the name CICO can be found in a document from the town of Perugia, dated 1587. The document mentions a certain "Giovanni Cico," who was a local merchant.
Another notable figure bearing the surname CICO was Giulio Cico, a painter and sculptor who lived in Florence during the late 16th century. His works can be found in various churches and galleries across Tuscany.
In the 17th century, a family by the name of Cico settled in the town of Orvieto, where they established a successful wine-making business. The Cico winery remained in operation for several generations and was renowned for its quality wines.
During the 19th century, a man named Antonio Cico (1820-1892) gained prominence as a renowned architect in Rome. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Luciano Cico (1903-1981), an Italian writer and journalist who was known for his political commentary and satire. He published several books and articles during his lifetime, contributing to the literary landscape of his time.
While not as common as some other Italian surnames, CICO has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries, leaving their mark in various fields such as art, architecture, literature, and commerce.
Demographics
Among Census respondents with the surname Cico, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cico 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 Cico surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
Timeline
Cico 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.
2000
National surname rank
First available Census row
2010
National surname rank
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
2020
National surname rank
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 12,164 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 6,788 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
How has the Cico surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146,201 | #152,989 | -4.6% |
| Count | 113 | 105 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cico bearers went from 113 to 105 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 6,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #152,989.
FAQ
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Cico. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
Cico ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Cico. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Cico.
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cico went from 113 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #152,989.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cico, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cico in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (100 people in the source table).
Cico appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Black (2.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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.
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 Cico (2000, 2010, 2020).
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.
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.
A surname derived from the Corsican word "cicu," meaning short or small. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
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.
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 Cico (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.