2000
#22,723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,055
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Licona
Derived from a place name in Basque Country, Spain, likely referring to a family's place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,711 Americans carry the last name Licona. That puts it at #12,517 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,431 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Licona 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
2.7K
1 in 126,431
Census rank
#12,517
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,364 bearers of the surname Licona in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12517th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Licona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the 15th century, a notable figure named Juan de Licona was mentioned in several historical documents as a trusted advisor and counselor to King Juan II of Castile.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Licona
Among Census respondents with the surname Licona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Licona 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 Licona surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.3% · 2,230
- White4.4% · 105
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
- Two or more races0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Licona
Licona 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
#14,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,132
+1,077 bearers (+102.1%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 8,627 places
2020
#12,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,364
+232 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 1,579 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,723 | 1,055 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,096 | 2,132 | 0.72 | +1,077 bearers (+102.1%) | Up 8,627 places |
| 2020 | #12,517 | 2,364 | 0.79 | +232 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 1,579 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 Licona 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 | #14,096 | #12,517 | 11.2% |
| Count | 2,132 | 2,364 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.79 | 9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Licona bearers went from 2,132 to 2,364 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 1,579 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,096 to #12,517.
FAQ
Licona surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Licona?
Name Census estimates that about 2,711 living Americans carry the surname Licona. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,431 residents.
How common is Licona?
Licona ranks #12,517 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,364 people with the surname Licona. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,711), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Licona.
Has Licona become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Licona went from 2,132 recorded bearers to 2,364. That is an increase of 232 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,096 to #12,517.
What does the Census say about the background of Licona?
Among Census respondents with the surname Licona, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Black (0.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Licona in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (2,230 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Licona appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.3%), White (4.4%), Black (0.5%). 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 Licona (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 Licona mean?
Derived from a place name in Basque Country, Spain, likely referring to a family's place of origin. 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 Licona (0.79 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 Licona?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.