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

Falco, 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 Falco surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Falco in America

Falco is the 7126th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Falco surname appeared 4,695 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Falco.

We can also compare 2010 data for Falco 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 Falco

The surname Falco originated in Italy, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "falco," meaning falcon, which was likely a nickname given to someone who possessed characteristics associated with the bird, such as keen eyesight or a fierce demeanor.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various Italian documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, a certain Manfredi Falco was mentioned in a legal document from Siena in 1289, while a Guglielmo Falco appears in records from Florence in 1327.

In the 15th century, the name gained prominence with the rise of the Falco family in Genoa, a powerful mercantile dynasty that played a significant role in the city's political and economic affairs. Notable members include Battista Falco (1458-1531), a wealthy banker and patron of the arts, and Giacomo Falco (1493-1568), a renowned jurist and legal scholar.

The Falco name also has ties to the island of Sicily, where it can be traced back to the town of Monreale, near Palermo. Historical records mention a Niccolò Falco, a landowner and nobleman from Monreale, who lived in the late 16th century.

In the realm of literature, the name Falco is immortalized in the works of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). In his epic poem "The Divine Comedy," Dante mentions a character named Calcabrina, who is described as a "falco" (falcon) among the demons in Hell.

Another notable figure bearing the Falco surname is Giovanni Falco (1594-1665), an Italian painter and engraver from the Baroque era, known for his religious works and portraits.

Throughout history, the Falco name has also been associated with various place names in Italy, such as Falcone, a town in the province of Messina, Sicily, and Falconara, a municipality in the Marche region.

Overall, the Falco surname has a rich and diverse history, spanning several centuries and regions of Italy, with connections to nobility, commerce, literature, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Falco

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

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

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

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