Formica last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Formica

An Italian surname derived from the word for "ant", likely describing someone with antlike qualities.

Formica, 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 Formica surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Formica in America

Formica is the 19398th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Formica surname appeared 1,393 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Formica.

We can also compare 2010 data for Formica 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 19398 18225 6.24%
Count 1,393 1,407 -1.00%
Proportion per 100k 0.47 0.52 -10.10%

The history of the last name Formica

The surname Formica has its origins in Italy, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "formica," which means "ant." This name likely originated as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who was industrious or had an ant-like appearance or mannerisms.

The name Formica can be traced back to various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lazio, and Campania. In the 13th century, the name appeared in a document from the city of Siena, where a family with the surname Formica was mentioned. Additionally, there are records of individuals with this surname in the historic town of Viterbo, located in the province of Lazio, during the same time period.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Formica was Giovanni Formica, a renowned Italian jurist and legal scholar who lived in the 14th century. He was born in Naples around 1320 and is known for his contributions to the study of canon law.

In the 15th century, the name Formica appeared in the Venetian Republic, where a family with this surname held prominent positions. One of the most notable members was Andrea Formica, a Venetian ambassador who served in various diplomatic roles during the 1460s.

Another noteworthy individual was Giacomo Formica, an Italian painter from the 16th century. He was born in Padua around 1510 and is known for his religious artworks, which can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.

In the 17th century, the Formica family had a presence in the Kingdom of Naples, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable member was Tommaso Formica, a merchant and trader who lived in Naples during the mid-1600s.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Formica was also found in the region of Piedmont, where a family with this surname owned vineyards and produced wine. One of their descendants, Giuseppe Formica, was a respected vintner and winemaker who lived in the town of Asti during the late 1700s.

Throughout history, the surname Formica has been associated with various professions, from legal scholars and diplomats to artists and merchants. While its origins can be traced back to Italy, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and historical significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Formica

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

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 Formica was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.05% 1,324
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.43% 6
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.15% 16
Hispanic Origin 2.94% 41

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 Formica has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.05% 96.30% -1.31%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.43% 0.36% 17.72%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.15% 0.92% 22.22%
Hispanic 2.94% 2.13% 31.95%

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Formica, 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!

"Formica last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/formica-surname-popularity/.

"Formica last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/formica-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Formica last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/formica-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.