2000
#30,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 724
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Rare Last name
Cisse
A surname common in West Africa, derived from the Wolof word "cër" meaning scholar or teacher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,299 Americans carry the last name Cisse. That puts it at #10,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,896 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cisse 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 Cisse with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,896
Census rank
#10,618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,877 bearers of the surname Cisse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cisse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and White (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cisse
The surname Cisse originated in the West African country of Senegal. It is derived from the Wolof language, one of the most widely spoken languages in the region. Cisse is believed to have its roots in the Wolof word "Ciss," which means "to be born on a particular day" or "day of birth."
The earliest known records of the Cisse surname date back to the 13th century, when it was commonly found in the regions of Saloum and Sine-Saloum in present-day Senegal. During this time, the name was often associated with the ruling dynasties and noble families of the area.
In the 16th century, the Cisse surname gained prominence in the Kingdom of Cayor, another historical region in Senegal. Several notable figures from this era bore the Cisse name, including Damel Amari Ngoné Cissé, who ruled the Kingdom of Cayor from 1559 to 1600.
One of the earliest written records of the Cisse surname can be found in the "Tarikh al-Fattash" (also known as the "Chronicles of the Seeker"), a Wolof historical narrative from the late 16th century. This work mentions several Cisse individuals who held influential positions in the Wolof kingdoms of the time.
As the Cisse surname spread throughout West Africa, it also became associated with various place names and geographic locations. For instance, the village of Cissé-Silamé in modern-day Senegal is believed to have derived its name from the Cisse clan that settled there.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Cisse surname. One prominent example is Abdoulaye Cisse (1923-2012), a Senegalese writer, poet, and intellectual who played a significant role in the country's literary and cultural scene. Another notable figure is Alioune Cisse (1919-2008), a Senegalese politician and diplomat who served as the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1970 to 1980.
In the realm of sports, the Cisse surname has gained recognition through individuals such as Djibril Cisse (born 1981), a French professional footballer who has played for several top clubs, including Liverpool and Sunderland. Djibril's father, Michel Cisse, was also a professional footballer from Senegal.
Other notable individuals with the Cisse surname include Habib Cisse (born 1964), a Senegalese former professional basketball player who represented his country in international competitions, and Ousmane Cisse (born 1968), a Malian politician and former Prime Minister of Mali from 2017 to 2019.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cisse
Among Census respondents with the surname Cisse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and White (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cisse 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 Cisse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.4% · 2,687
- Two or more races2.7% · 78
- White2.3% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cisse
Cisse 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
#15,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,873
+1,149 bearers (+158.7%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 14,837 places
2020
#10,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,877
+1,004 bearers (+53.6%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 4,988 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,443 | 724 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,606 | 1,873 | 0.63 | +1,149 bearers (+158.7%) | Up 14,837 places |
| 2020 | #10,618 | 2,877 | 0.96 | +1,004 bearers (+53.6%) | Up 4,988 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 Cisse 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 | #15,606 | #10,618 | 32.0% |
| Count | 1,873 | 2,877 | 53.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.96 | 52.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cisse bearers went from 1,873 to 2,877 (+53.6% change). The surname moved up 4,988 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,606 to #10,618.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cisse
FAQ
Cisse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cisse?
Name Census estimates that about 3,299 living Americans carry the surname Cisse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,896 residents.
How common is Cisse?
Cisse ranks #10,618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,877 people with the surname Cisse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,299), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Cisse.
Has Cisse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cisse went from 1,873 recorded bearers to 2,877. That is an increase of 1,004 (+53.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,606 to #10,618.
What does the Census say about the background of Cisse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cisse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and White (2.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cisse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (2,687 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cisse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.4%), Two or More Races (2.7%), White (2.3%). 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 Cisse (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 Cisse mean?
A surname common in West Africa, derived from the Wolof word "cër" meaning scholar or teacher. 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 Cisse (0.96 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 common is the surname Cisse?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Cisse on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.