2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cursi
A Spanish surname derived from the word "cursi" meaning tacky or tasteless.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Cursi. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cursi 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Cursi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cursi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cursi
The surname Cursi originates from Italy, with its roots tracing back to the late medieval period, around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "corso," which means "course" or "path," suggesting a connection to geographic locations or travel routes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cursi surname can be found in the historic records of the Republic of Venice, where a merchant named Nicolo Cursi was mentioned in a trade document dated 1276. This suggests that the name was already established in the Venetian region during that time.
In the 14th century, the Cursi name appeared in the records of the city of Naples, where a family of that name held a prominent position among the local nobility. One notable figure was Gian Battista Cursi, a military commander who served under the Aragonese rulers in the late 1400s.
As the Renaissance period unfolded, the Cursi family expanded their influence, with members holding positions of power and wealth in various Italian cities. In 1543, a manuscript from the Vatican archives mentions a Cardinal Lorenzo Cursi, who played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of the time.
During the 17th century, the Cursi surname gained recognition in the artistic realm, with Pietro Cursi (1590-1670), a renowned painter from Verona, whose works adorned numerous churches and palaces across Italy.
Another notable figure was Giacomo Cursi (1718-1792), a philosopher and scholar from Milan, who authored several influential texts on ethics and metaphysics, contributing to the intellectual discourse of the Enlightenment era.
As the Cursi surname spread across Italy, it also found its way into other European regions through migration and trade. In the late 18th century, a French military officer named Jean-Baptiste Cursi (1752-1829) gained prominence for his service during the Napoleonic Wars, earning him the title of Baron.
While the Cursi name has its roots in Italy, it has since become more widely dispersed, with individuals bearing this surname found in various parts of the world, carrying forward the rich cultural and historical legacy associated with this distinct Italian lineage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cursi
Among Census respondents with the surname Cursi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cursi 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 Cursi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cursi
Cursi 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
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,487 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-8 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,360 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 4,487 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 5,360 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 Cursi 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 | #154,755 | -3.6% |
| Count | 110 | 102 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cursi bearers went from 110 to 102 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 5,360 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #154,755.
FAQ
Cursi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cursi?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Cursi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Cursi?
Cursi ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Cursi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Cursi.
Has Cursi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cursi went from 110 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Cursi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cursi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Cursi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cursi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Cursi (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 Cursi mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "cursi" meaning tacky or tasteless. 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 Cursi (0.03 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 share the surname Cursi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.