2000
#7,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,344
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.61
Rare Last name
Curcio
An Italian occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of saffron, derived from the Italian word "curcio."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,643 Americans carry the last name Curcio. That puts it at #7,855 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Curcio 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
4.6K
1 in 73,822
Census rank
#7,855
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,049 bearers of the surname Curcio in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7855th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Curcio, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Curcio
The surname Curcio has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. It is derived from the Latin word "curcius," which means "crooked" or "bent." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive surname to someone who had a physical characteristic or trait associated with being crooked or bent.
In the 13th century, the name Curcio began appearing in various records and documents throughout southern Italy. One of the earliest known references can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of historical documents from the city of Bari, where a certain "Nicola Curcio" is mentioned in a legal document dated 1268.
During the Middle Ages, the Curcio name was also present in the region of Calabria. In the 15th century, a notable figure named Giovanni Curcio (1420-1492) was a prominent jurist and legal scholar from the town of Rossano. His writings and legal treatises were highly regarded during his time.
As the name spread throughout Italy, various spelling variations emerged, such as Curcio, Curcione, and Curcetti. These variations often reflected regional dialects and linguistic differences within the country.
In the 16th century, the Curcio name gained further recognition with the birth of Vincenzo Curcio (1570-1634), a renowned painter from Naples. His works, which showcased his skills in the Baroque style, can still be found in various churches and galleries across Italy.
Another notable figure with the Curcio name was Gian Vincenzo Curcio (1645-1718), a Catholic prelate who served as the Archbishop of Conza and Campagna in the late 17th century. His ecclesiastical career and contributions to the Church left a lasting impact in the region.
In more recent times, the Curcio surname has continued to be prominent in Italy, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, such as literature, art, and academia.
While the surname Curcio has its roots in Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance can be traced back to the regions of southern Italy, where it first emerged and gained prominence over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Curcio
Among Census respondents with the surname Curcio, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Curcio 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 Curcio surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 3,760
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 195
- Two or more races1.2% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 30
- Black or African American0.3% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Curcio
Curcio 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
#7,589
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,380
+36 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 492 places
2020
#7,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,049
-331 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,097 | 4,344 | 1.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,589 | 4,380 | 1.48 | +36 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 492 places |
| 2020 | #7,855 | 4,049 | 1.35 | -331 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 266 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 Curcio 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 | #7,589 | #7,855 | -3.5% |
| Count | 4,380 | 4,049 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.48 | 1.35 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Curcio bearers went from 4,380 to 4,049 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 266 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,589 to #7,855.
FAQ
Curcio surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Curcio?
Name Census estimates that about 4,643 living Americans carry the surname Curcio. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,822 residents.
How common is Curcio?
Curcio ranks #7,855 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.35 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 4,049 people with the surname Curcio. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,643), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.35 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 Curcio.
Has Curcio become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Curcio went from 4,380 recorded bearers to 4,049. That is a decrease of 331 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,589 to #7,855.
What does the Census say about the background of Curcio?
Among Census respondents with the surname Curcio, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Curcio in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (3,760 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Curcio appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Curcio (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 Curcio mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of saffron, derived from the Italian word "curcio." 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 Curcio (1.35 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 last name Curcio?
Find out how many people are called Curcio on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.