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

Felice, 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 Felice surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Felice in America

Felice is the 9730th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Felice surname appeared 3,333 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Felice.

We can also compare 2010 data for Felice 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 Felice

The surname Felice is of Italian origin and can be traced back to the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "felix," meaning "happy" or "lucky." The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive surname for someone with a cheerful or fortunate disposition.

In the 14th century, the surname Felice appeared in various Italian records, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. One of the earliest recorded instances is Guido Felice, a merchant from Florence who lived around 1350.

The Felice surname can also be found in historical documents such as tax records and municipal archives from cities like Siena, Perugia, and Rome. For instance, a family of Felice is mentioned in the Catasto of Siena, a tax survey conducted in the late 15th century.

During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname Felice. One of the most prominent was Felice della Rovere (1483-1536), an Italian cardinal and patron of the arts. He was a member of the powerful Della Rovere family and played a significant role in the papacy of his uncle, Pope Julius II.

Another well-known figure was Felice Giani (1758-1823), an Italian painter and engraver from Piacenza. He is renowned for his etchings and engravings of religious subjects and landscapes.

In the 19th century, Felice Romani (1788-1865) was a renowned Italian librettist who collaborated with famous composers like Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti. He wrote the librettos for operas such as "Norma" and "La Sonnambula."

Felice Cavallotti (1842-1898) was an Italian poet, playwright, and political activist from Milan. He was a prominent figure in the struggle for Italian unification and later served as a deputy in the Italian parliament.

Another notable individual was Felice Gimondi (1942-2019), an Italian professional cyclist who won the Tour de France in 1965 and the Giro d'Italia in 1967 and 1976.

While the Felice surname originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration. However, its roots and historical significance remain firmly tied to the Italian regions where it first emerged and gained prominence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Felice

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!