2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Civita
An Italian surname referring to someone from a town or place called Civita.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Civita. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Civita 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Civita in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Civita, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Civita
The surname CIVITA originates from Italy, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "civita," which means "city" or "town." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived in or been associated with a specific town or city.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CIVITA surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Abruzzo, located in central Italy. Historical records from this period mention individuals with variations of the name, such as Civitano and Civitella, which likely evolved into the modern form of CIVITA.
During the Renaissance period, the CIVITA surname gained prominence in various parts of Italy, particularly in the regions of Lazio, Campania, and Puglia. Notable individuals bearing this surname from this era include Giovanni Battista Civita, a renowned painter from Naples who lived in the 16th century, and Vincenzo Civita, a scholar and philosopher from Rome in the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the CIVITA surname appeared in historical records related to the Kingdom of Naples. One notable figure was Antonio Civita, a military commander who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars between 1796 and 1815.
As the CIVITA surname spread across Italy, it also found its way into other regions and countries. For instance, in the 19th century, there were records of individuals with the surname CIVITA in Argentina, likely due to Italian immigration during that period. One such individual was Ernesto Civita, an Argentine writer and journalist born in 1875.
Other notable figures bearing the CIVITA surname throughout history include Francesca Civita, an Italian opera singer from the early 20th century, and Guido Civita, an Italian mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of tensor calculus in the 1920s.
While the CIVITA surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by Italian emigrants and their descendants. The name continues to hold a connection to its Italian heritage and the rich history associated with the towns and cities from which it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Civita
Among Census respondents with the surname Civita, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Civita 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 Civita surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.7% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino12.4% · 15
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Civita
Civita 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-14 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,328 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 799 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 20,328 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Up 799 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 Civita 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 | #142,108 | #141,309 | 0.6% |
| Count | 117 | 121 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Civita bearers went from 117 to 121 (+3.4% change). The surname moved up 799 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #141,309.
FAQ
Civita surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Civita?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Civita. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Civita?
Civita ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Civita. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Civita.
Has Civita become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Civita went from 117 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 4 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Civita?
Among Census respondents with the surname Civita, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Civita in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Civita appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.7%), Hispanic (12.4%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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.
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 Civita (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 Civita mean?
An Italian surname referring to someone from a town or place called Civita. 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 Civita (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 have the surname Civita?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.