Cira last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Cira

An Italian surname of uncertain meaning and origin.

Cira, 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 Cira surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cira in America

Cira is the 29447th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cira surname appeared 802 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 Cira.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cira 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 29447 31389 -6.38%
Count 802 698 13.87%
Proportion per 100k 0.27 0.26 3.77%

The history of the last name Cira

The surname Cira has its roots in Italy, originating in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "cira," which means "circle" or "ring." Historically, this name was found in various regions of Italy, including Campania, Lazio, and Tuscany.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Cira can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in several Italian manuscripts. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Cira" or "Cyra," reflecting the variations in regional dialects and scribal practices.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Cira was Giacomo Cira, a renowned painter and fresco artist from Florence. His works can still be admired in several churches and palaces throughout Tuscany.

In the 16th century, the name Cira was associated with the village of Cira, located in the province of Reggio Calabria, southern Italy. This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.

Another historical figure with the surname Cira was Giovanni Battista Cira, a prominent Italian jurist and legal scholar who lived in the 17th century. His influential writings on Roman law and jurisprudence were widely studied throughout Europe.

During the 18th century, the Cira family played a significant role in the wine-making industry of the Campania region. One notable member was Antonio Cira, whose vineyards produced some of the finest wines exported from Naples during that era.

In the 19th century, a prominent military figure with the surname Cira was General Giuseppe Cira, who served in the Italian Army during the Risorgimento, the unification of Italy. He was recognized for his bravery and leadership in several battles against the Austrian Empire.

Another notable individual with the surname Cira was Maria Cira, a philanthropist and social reformer from Naples, who lived in the late 19th century. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the underprivileged in her city and founded several charitable organizations.

While the surname Cira is not as common as some other Italian surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cira

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

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 Cira was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 76.68% 615
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.62% 5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 22.07% 177

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 Cira has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 76.68% 81.81% -6.47%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.62% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% 1.72% (S)%
Hispanic 22.07% 15.76% 33.36%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Cira last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 6, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/cira-surname-popularity/.

"Cira last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/cira-surname-popularity/. Accessed 6 May, 2025

Cira last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/cira-surname-popularity/.

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