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

Licona, 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 Licona surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Licona in America

Licona is the 14096th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Licona surname appeared 2,132 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Licona.

We can also compare 2010 data for Licona 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.

The history of the last name Licona

The surname Licona is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. Licona is a toponymic name, derived from the name of a small village or place located in the northern region of Spain, likely in the Basque Country or the Asturias region. The name may have its roots in the Basque language, but its precise etymology is uncertain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Licona can be found in the Becerro Antiguo, a medieval Spanish manuscript dating back to the 14th century. This document contains records of landholdings and noble families, suggesting that the Licona name may have been associated with a prominent family or landowners during that time.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan de Licona was mentioned in several historical documents as a trusted advisor and counselor to King Juan II of Castile. Juan de Licona played a significant role in the political affairs of the kingdom during his lifetime, which spanned from approximately 1410 to 1480.

During the Age of Discovery and the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the Licona surname likely spread to the New World as Spanish explorers, settlers, and immigrants brought their family names with them. One notable individual was Pedro de Licona, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.

Another historical figure bearing the Licona surname was Fray Antonio de Licona, a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He played a crucial role in the evangelization efforts and establishment of missions in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period.

In the 18th century, a renowned Spanish painter named Francisco de Licona y Renovales gained recognition for his religious and historical paintings. He was born in Seville in 1705 and his works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Spain.

Over time, variations of the spelling of the surname emerged, such as Licona, Lizcona, and Lizarraga, reflecting regional linguistic influences and the evolution of the name through generations. While the Licona surname is primarily associated with Spain and its historical territories, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Licona

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

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 Licona was:

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

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

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