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

Cocuzzo, 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 Cocuzzo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cocuzzo in America

Cocuzzo is the 109758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cocuzzo surname appeared 161 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 Cocuzzo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cocuzzo 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.

The history of the last name Cocuzzo

The surname Cocuzzo originated in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Calabria and Sicily. Its roots can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Italian word "cocuzza," which means a type of elongated squash or pumpkin. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who cultivated or sold this type of vegetable.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cocuzzo name appears in a document from the town of Palmi, in the province of Reggio Calabria, dated around 1450. This document mentions a certain Nicola Cocuzzo, who was a landowner and farmer. Another early reference can be found in the archives of the city of Messina, Sicily, where a Paolo Cocuzzo is listed as a merchant in the late 15th century.

As the name spread across southern Italy, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Cocuzza, Cocuzzo, and Cucuzzo. These variations likely emerged due to local dialects and pronunciation differences. One notable individual from this era was Girolamo Cocuzzo, a philosopher and humanist scholar born in Reggio Calabria in 1532. He authored several works on ethics and classical literature.

In the 17th century, the Cocuzzo name appears in records from the town of Rocca Imperiale, in the province of Cosenza, Calabria. Here, a family of landowners and merchants bearing this surname played a significant role in the local economy and politics. One member, Vincenzo Cocuzzo, born in 1675, was a respected lawyer and served as a magistrate in the region.

Another notable figure was Giuseppe Cocuzzo, a painter and fresco artist born in Catania, Sicily, in 1721. He was renowned for his works adorning churches and palaces across Sicily and Naples. His most famous creation is the fresco cycle in the Duomo di Catania, depicting scenes from the life of Saint Agatha.

As the centuries passed, the Cocuzzo surname spread across Italy and to other parts of the world through immigration. Today, it remains most prevalent in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in Calabria and Sicily, where it originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cocuzzo

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

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 Cocuzzo was:

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

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

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

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