2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lica
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a Greek place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Lica. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lica 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Lica in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lica, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lica
The surname LICA has its origins in the Middle Ages, originating from the Italian region of Veneto. It is derived from the Latin word "licatus," which means "twisted" or "intertwined." This likely refers to the twisted or intricate patterns found in textiles or fabrics, suggesting that the name may have been associated with a family involved in the textile industry or weaving trade.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the LICA surname can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Padovano" (Diplomatic Code of Padua), a collection of documents from the 12th century. This document references a certain "Petrus Lica" who lived in the city of Padua during that time period.
In the 14th century, the name LICA appeared in the "Matricola della Fraglia dei Tintori" (Register of the Dyers' Guild) in Venice. This record suggests that members of the LICA family were involved in the dyeing or coloring of fabrics, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the textile industry.
Notable individuals with the surname LICA include:
1. Giovanni Lica (c. 1450 - c. 1520), a renowned Venetian painter and fresco artist known for his works in the Doge's Palace and various churches in Venice.
2. Antonio Lica (1570 - 1635), a prominent lawyer and jurist from Verona, who served as a magistrate and authored several influential legal treatises.
3. Lucrezia Lica (c. 1590 - c. 1660), a celebrated courtesan and poet from Venice, known for her wit and literary talents during the Renaissance period.
4. Girolamo Lica (1610 - 1685), a Venetian architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings, including the Church of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice.
5. Bartolomeo Lica (1725 - 1799), a renowned glassmaker from Murano, whose innovative techniques and designs contributed to the revival of the Venetian glass industry in the 18th century.
The surname LICA can also be found in historical records from other regions of Italy, such as Tuscany and Lombardy, suggesting that the name may have spread beyond its original Venetian origins over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lica
Among Census respondents with the surname Lica, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lica 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 Lica surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.1% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino21.1% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lica
Lica 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-9 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,840 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,564 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 18,840 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 3,564 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 Lica 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 | #153,769 | #150,205 | 2.3% |
| Count | 106 | 109 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lica bearers went from 106 to 109 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 3,564 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #150,205.
FAQ
Lica surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lica?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Lica. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Lica?
Lica ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Lica. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Lica.
Has Lica become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lica went from 106 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Lica?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lica, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (21.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Lica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.1% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lica appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.1%), Hispanic (21.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Lica (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 Lica mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a Greek place name. 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 Lica (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 common is the surname Lica?
Find out how many people have the surname Lica on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.