2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cirio
An Italian surname originally deriving from or relating to the word 'cera' meaning wax or candle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Cirio. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cirio 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Cirio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cirio, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cirio
The surname Cirio is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Piedmont. It is thought to have derived from the Italian word "ciro," which means "wax" or "candle." This suggests that the name may have been associated with an occupation or trade involving the production or sale of candles or wax-related products.
One of the earliest known references to the name Cirio can be found in historical records from the city of Turin, dating back to the 16th century. These records mention individuals with the surname Cirio engaged in various professions, including candlemakers, merchants, and artisans.
In the late 19th century, the Cirio family gained prominence in the food industry. Francesco Cirio (1824-1917), a native of Nizza Monferrato, established the Cirio Company, which became renowned for its canned tomatoes and other preserved foods. The company's products were exported worldwide, and the Cirio name became synonymous with quality and innovation in the food manufacturing sector.
Another notable individual with the surname Cirio was Ettore Cirio (1864-1942), an Italian businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and played a significant role in the economic development of the Piedmont region during the early 20th century.
In the realm of arts and culture, the surname Cirio is associated with the Italian painter and sculptor Vincenzo Cirio (1828-1906). Born in Turin, Cirio's works were widely exhibited and celebrated during the Risorgimento period in Italy.
The name Cirio has also been documented in other parts of Europe, including France and Spain, likely due to migration and trade connections. For instance, the French artist Louis Cirio (1799-1880), born in Lyon, achieved recognition for his landscape and genre paintings during the 19th century.
While the surname Cirio has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to various parts of the world through immigration and diaspora. Individuals bearing this surname can be found in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and the United States, where Italian communities have established themselves over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cirio
Among Census respondents with the surname Cirio, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cirio 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 Cirio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White45.3% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino37.6% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.1% · 13
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cirio
Cirio appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+11 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 9,499 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 Cirio 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 | #153,769 | #144,270 | 6.2% |
| Count | 106 | 117 | 10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cirio bearers went from 106 to 117 (+10.4% change). The surname moved up 9,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #144,270.
FAQ
Cirio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cirio?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Cirio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Cirio?
Cirio ranks #144,270 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.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Cirio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
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 Cirio.
Has Cirio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cirio went from 106 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 11 (+10.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Cirio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cirio, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.1%). 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 Cirio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.3% (53 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cirio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (45.3%), Hispanic (37.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.1%). 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 Cirio (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 Cirio mean?
An Italian surname originally deriving from or relating to the word 'cera' meaning wax or candle. 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 Cirio (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.
How many people share the surname Cirio?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.