2000
#63,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 292
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Mica
A surname deriving from a place name meaning "crumb" or "piece" in Italian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 346 Americans carry the last name Mica. That puts it at #69,958 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 990,619 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mica 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
346
1 in 990,619
Census rank
#69,958
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
302
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 302 bearers of the surname Mica in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69958th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mica, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mica
The surname MICA is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the northern regions around the 15th century. It is derived from the Italian word "mica," which means small particle or flake, potentially referring to someone who worked with or dealt in mica, a type of mineral.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MICA surname can be found in a document from the town of Bergamo, dated 1492, where a certain Giovanni MICA is mentioned as a resident. Another early reference is in a census record from the city of Milan in 1517, listing a family with the surname MICA.
In the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Italy, with records showing families with the MICA surname residing in cities like Venice and Florence. One notable individual from this period was Francesco MICA (1501-1574), a merchant from Genoa who was involved in the silk trade with the Levant.
As the name continued to evolve, it also took on variations in spelling, such as Micca, Micche, and Micchi. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.
In the 17th century, the MICA surname can be found in connection with several notable figures. One such individual was Giambattista MICA (1619-1692), a Jesuit scholar and writer from Piedmont who authored several works on theology and philosophy.
Another notable bearer of the MICA surname was Domenico MICA (1685-1758), a renowned painter from Naples who was known for his religious and mythological works. His paintings can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Italy.
Moving into the 18th century, the MICA surname gained prominence in the field of music. One example is Antonio MICA (1724-1792), a composer and violinist from Bologna who worked in various courts and opera houses across Europe.
In the 19th century, the MICA surname continued to be represented in various fields. One notable figure was Carlo MICA (1812-1887), an Italian politician and statesman who served as the Minister of Finance for the Kingdom of Italy in the 1860s.
Another significant individual from this period was Giuseppe MICA (1833-1903), an Italian botanist and entomologist who made significant contributions to the study of plant and insect life in the Mediterranean region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mica
Among Census respondents with the surname Mica, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mica 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 Mica surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.5% · 228
- Hispanic or Latino13.2% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6% · 14
- Black or African American3.0% · 9
- Two or more races3.0% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mica
Mica 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
#64,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 308
+16 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 747 places
2020
#69,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 302
-6 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 5,399 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #63,812 | 292 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #64,559 | 308 | 0.10 | +16 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 747 places |
| 2020 | #69,958 | 302 | 0.10 | -6 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 5,399 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 Mica 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 | #64,559 | #69,958 | -8.4% |
| Count | 308 | 302 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mica bearers went from 308 to 302 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 5,399 positions in the national ranking, going from #64,559 to #69,958.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mica
FAQ
Mica surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mica?
Name Census estimates that about 346 living Americans carry the surname Mica. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 990,619 residents.
How common is Mica?
Mica ranks #69,958 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 302 people with the surname Mica. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (346), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Mica.
Has Mica become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mica went from 308 recorded bearers to 302. That is a decrease of 6 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #64,559 to #69,958.
What does the Census say about the background of Mica?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mica, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%). 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 Mica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.5% (228 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mica appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.5%), Hispanic (13.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%). 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 Mica (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 Mica mean?
A surname deriving from a place name meaning "crumb" or "piece" in Italian. 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 Mica (0.10 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 Mica?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.