2010
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Figa
A surname likely derived from the Turkish word "figa" referring to a small decorative charm.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Figa. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Figa 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Figa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Figa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Figa
The surname FIGA is of Italian origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "ficus," meaning "fig." The name likely referred to someone associated with fig trees or the cultivation of figs, possibly a farmer or merchant dealing in this fruit.
In the early records, the name is found in various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern and central areas. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be traced to a document from the 13th century in the city of Siena, where a certain Guido FIGA is listed as a landowner.
As the name spread across Italy, it underwent variations in spelling, such as "Figa," "Fighi," and "Figara." These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of individual scribes who recorded the name.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained prominence in the arts and literature. Notably, a poet named Antonio FIGA (1490-1563) from Florence gained recognition for his works celebrating the beauty of nature and the Tuscan landscape.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the city of Venice, where a prominent merchant family, the FIGAs, established a successful trading business, dealing in spices and textiles from the East.
Another notable bearer of the name was Girolamo FIGA (1567-1635), a renowned philosopher and theologian from Padua, known for his scholarly works on metaphysics and ethics.
As Italy experienced political upheavals and economic migrations, the name FIGA spread to other regions of Europe. In the 18th century, a Spanish nobleman named Diego FIGA (1725-1798) gained recognition for his contributions to the development of viticulture in the region of La Rioja.
During the 19th century, the name found its way to the Americas, carried by Italian immigrants seeking new opportunities. One such immigrant was Giovanni FIGA (1832-1912), a skilled stonemason who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in New York City.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Figa
Among Census respondents with the surname Figa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Figa 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 Figa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 90
- Black or African American9.6% · 10
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Figa
Figa appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-37 bearers (-26.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 31,276 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -37 bearers (-26.2%) | Down 31,276 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 Figa 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 | #122,314 | #153,590 | -25.6% |
| Count | 141 | 104 | -26.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.03 | -30.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Figa bearers went from 141 to 104 (-26.2% change). The surname moved down 31,276 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #153,590.
FAQ
Figa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Figa?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Figa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Figa?
Figa ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Figa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Figa.
Has Figa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Figa went from 141 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 37 (-26.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Figa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Figa, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Figa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Figa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Black (9.6%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Figa (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 Figa mean?
A surname likely derived from the Turkish word "figa" referring to a small decorative charm. 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 Figa (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 common is the surname Figa?
You can see how many people have the surname Figa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.