2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lercara
A locational surname from a town in Sicily.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Lercara. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lercara 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Lercara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lercara, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lercara
The surname Lercara originated in Sicily, Italy, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Sicilian town of the same name, Lercara Friddi, located in the province of Palermo. The town's name is thought to have its origins in the Arabic term 'al-rakkah,' meaning 'the small watercourse.'
One of the earliest documented instances of the Lercara surname can be found in the Sicilian Riveli, a series of medieval censuses and tax records dating back to the late 13th century. These records mention individuals with variations of the name, such as 'de Lercara' and 'Lercari.'
During the Renaissance period, the Lercara family played a significant role in the cultural and political landscape of Sicily. Notably, Pietro Lercaro (1522-1592), a renowned poet and playwright, was born in Lercara Friddi and gained recognition for his works celebrating Sicilian heritage and traditions.
In the 17th century, the Lercara name appeared in various ecclesiastical records, with several members of the family holding prominent positions within the Catholic Church. One such figure was Francesco Lercara (1638-1717), who served as the Bishop of Agrigento from 1695 until his death.
As the Lercara family expanded beyond Sicily, the name began to appear in other regions of Italy and beyond. Alessandro Lercari (1789-1863), a celebrated Genoese architect, left his mark on the city's architectural landscape with his design for the Church of Sant'Antonio Abate.
Another notable individual bearing the Lercara surname was Giuseppe Lercaro (1891-1976), an Italian Cardinal who served as the Archbishop of Bologna from 1952 to 1968. He played a significant role in the Second Vatican Council and was known for his progressive views on social issues.
Throughout history, the Lercara name has been associated with various fields, including literature, religion, architecture, and politics, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural fabric of Italy and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lercara
Among Census respondents with the surname Lercara, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lercara 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 Lercara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lercara
Lercara 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-9 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,770 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 15,770 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 8,917 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 Lercara 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 | #138,304 | #147,221 | -6.4% |
| Count | 121 | 113 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lercara bearers went from 121 to 113 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 8,917 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #147,221.
FAQ
Lercara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lercara?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Lercara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Lercara?
Lercara ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Lercara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Lercara.
Has Lercara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lercara went from 121 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Lercara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lercara, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Lercara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lercara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Lercara (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 Lercara mean?
A locational surname from 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 Lercara (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 surname Lercara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.