2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ficarella
A locative surname of Italian origin referring to someone from Ficarra, a town in Sicily.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Ficarella. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ficarella 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Ficarella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ficarella, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ficarella
The surname Ficarella has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Calabria. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 11th or 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Italian word "fico," meaning fig, and likely referred to someone who lived near or cultivated fig trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ficarella can be found in a document from the town of Eboli, in the Province of Salerno, Campania, dated around 1350. This document mentions a certain Nicola Ficarella, who was a landowner in the area.
In the 15th century, the name appears in several records from the town of Vibo Valentia, in the Province of Vibo Valentia, Calabria. These records include mentions of a family of merchants and landowners with the surname Ficarella, suggesting that the name had become established in the region by that time.
During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Ficarella was Girolamo Ficarella, a scholar and humanist from Naples. He was born in 1520 and is known for his writings on philosophy and literature.
In the 17th century, the name Ficarella can be found in records from the town of Caserta, in the Province of Caserta, Campania. One notable individual from this time was Tommaso Ficarella, a wealthy landowner and patron of the arts, who lived from 1630 to 1698.
Another prominent figure with the surname Ficarella was Antonio Ficarella, a military leader and hero of the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Reggio Calabria, Calabria, in 1775 and fought for the Kingdom of Naples against the French forces. He died in battle in 1806.
The name Ficarella has also been associated with several place names in Italy, including the town of Ficarazzi in the Province of Palermo, Sicily, and the hamlet of Ficarella in the Province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria.
While the surname Ficarella is not among the most common in Italy today, it has a rich history and has been carried by notable individuals throughout the centuries, reflecting the diverse cultural and geographical influences that have shaped the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ficarella
Among Census respondents with the surname Ficarella, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ficarella 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 Ficarella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ficarella
Ficarella 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-11 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,820 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+7 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,911 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 18,820 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.1%) | Up 3,911 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 Ficarella 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 | #145,220 | #141,309 | 2.7% |
| Count | 114 | 121 | 6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ficarella bearers went from 114 to 121 (+6.1% change). The surname moved up 3,911 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #141,309.
FAQ
Ficarella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ficarella?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Ficarella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Ficarella?
Ficarella ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Ficarella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Ficarella.
Has Ficarella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ficarella went from 114 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 7 (+6.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Ficarella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ficarella, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Ficarella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ficarella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Ficarella (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 Ficarella mean?
A locative surname of Italian origin referring to someone from Ficarra, a town in Sicily. 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 Ficarella (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 many people have the last name Ficarella?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Ficarella is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.