2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cucura
A surname likely derived from the Greek word "koukourá" meaning "crypt" or "underground vault."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Cucura. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cucura 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Cucura in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cucura, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cucura
The surname Cucura has its origins in the southern Italian region of Puglia, specifically the town of Ceglie Messapica in the province of Brindisi. The name likely derives from the Latin word "cucullus," meaning "hood" or "cowl," which could suggest that an early bearer of the name may have been associated with a religious order or occupation that involved wearing a hooded garment.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cucura can be found in a 13th-century document from the town of Francavilla Fontana, where a certain Pietro Cucura was mentioned as a landowner. The name also appears in the Catasto Onciario, a Neapolitan tax register from 1741, indicating its continued presence in the region over the centuries.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Nicola Cucura, a renowned architect and sculptor from Lecce. He was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the Baroque style that still stand today, including the Church of Santa Croce in Lecce, completed in 1582.
Another prominent individual with the surname Cucura was Domenico Cucura, a painter and fresco artist who lived in the 17th century. He was commissioned to create several works for churches and noble residences throughout Puglia, including the frescoes adorning the ceiling of the Chiesa del Gesù in Gallipoli, completed in 1673.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was Antonio Cucura, a lawyer and politician who served as the mayor of Ceglie Messapica from 1858 to 1864. He played a significant role in the political and social development of the town during that period.
Lastly, a more recent figure with the surname Cucura was Raffaele Cucura, a distinguished historian and author who lived from 1901 to 1985. He wrote extensively on the history and culture of Puglia, with his most notable work being "Storia di Ceglie Messapica" (History of Ceglie Messapica), published in 1967, which provided a comprehensive account of the town's origins and development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cucura
Among Census respondents with the surname Cucura, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cucura 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 Cucura surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cucura
Cucura 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-17 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,523 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 24,523 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 2,944 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 Cucura 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 | #149,395 | #152,339 | -2.0% |
| Count | 110 | 106 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cucura bearers went from 110 to 106 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 2,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #152,339.
FAQ
Cucura surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cucura?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Cucura. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Cucura?
Cucura ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Cucura. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Cucura.
Has Cucura become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cucura went from 110 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Cucura?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cucura, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Cucura in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cucura appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Cucura (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 Cucura mean?
A surname likely derived from the Greek word "koukourá" meaning "crypt" or "underground vault." 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 Cucura (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 common is the surname Cucura?
See how many people are called Cucura on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.