Lecca last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Lecca

A surname derived from the Italian word "lecca," meaning "to lick."

Lecca, 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 Lecca surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lecca in America

Lecca is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lecca surname appeared 147 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 Lecca.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lecca 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 118185 141788 -18.16%
Count 147 108 30.59%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.04 22.22%

The history of the last name Lecca

The surname LECCA is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Tuscany, specifically in the area around the city of Lucca. The name is derived from the Latin word "lucus," which means a sacred grove or a small wood.

LECCA is thought to have been initially used as a topographic name, referring to individuals who lived near or in a small wooded area. Over time, it evolved into a hereditary surname passed down through generations. In the 13th century, records show the name spelled as "Lucca" or "Luccha," reflecting its close ties to the city of Lucca.

One of the earliest documented references to the LECCA surname can be found in the Liber Censuum, a medieval manuscript compiled by the Roman Curia in the 13th century. This record lists several individuals with the surname, indicating its presence in the region during that period.

In the 14th century, the LECCA name appeared in the Florentine Codex, a historical document containing records of births, marriages, and deaths in Florence. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its original location and was well-established in other parts of Tuscany.

Notable individuals with the LECCA surname include:

  1. Girolamo LECCA (1520-1587), a renowned Italian painter from Lucca, known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout Tuscany.
  2. Vincenzo LECCA (1655-1718), an Italian composer and organist from Lucca, who served as the maestro di cappella at the Basilica of San Frediano in Lucca.
  3. Giovanni Battista LECCA (1770-1845), an Italian mathematician and astronomer from Pisa, who made significant contributions to the study of planetary motions.
  4. Enrico LECCA (1885-1964), an Italian politician and journalist from Sardinia, who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and worked as an editor for several newspapers.
  5. Adriano LECCA (1928-2004), an Italian actor and theater director from Rome, known for his performances in numerous Italian films and theatrical productions.

While the LECCA surname originated in Tuscany, it has since spread to other regions of Italy and beyond, with families bearing this name found in various parts of the world. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period and the city of Lucca, where it was likely first adopted as a topographic name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lecca

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

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 Lecca was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 31.29% 46
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 66.67% 98

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 31.29% 33.33% -6.31%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 66.67% 65.74% 1.40%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

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

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

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

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