2000
#6,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,623
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.71
Rare Last name
Miceli
From the Italian surname Michele, derived from the given name Michael, meaning "who is like God?"
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,214 Americans carry the last name Miceli. That puts it at #7,094 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,737 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Miceli 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Miceli with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 65,737
Census rank
#7,094
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,547 bearers of the surname Miceli in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7094th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Miceli, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Miceli
The surname Miceli has its origins in Sicily, an island located in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern coast of Italy. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, likely derived from the Greek word "mikros," meaning "small." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone of small stature or a reference to a specific location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Miceli can be found in the Sicilian town of Misilmeri, which dates back to the 11th century. The town's name is derived from the Arabic phrase "Manzil al-Mir," meaning "the residence of the Emir." It is possible that the surname Miceli originated from this place name or was influenced by it.
During the 13th century, the name Miceli appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts, including the Codex Diplomaticus Siciliae, a collection of documents related to the history of Sicily. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by that time.
Notable individuals with the surname Miceli include:
1. Vincenzo Miceli (1589-1665), an Italian philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Palermo.
2. Giuseppe Miceli (1723-1797), an Italian priest and historian who authored several works on the history of Sicily.
3. Antonio Miceli (1807-1892), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the Sicilian Parliament.
4. Vito Miceli (1859-1937), an Italian-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Miceli Candy Company in New York City.
5. Gaetano Miceli (1892-1965), an Italian-American mobster who was a member of the Genovese crime family in New York City.
The surname Miceli has also been associated with various place names and their older spellings, such as Misilmeri (Misilmari), Mussomeli (Mussumeli), and Mistretta (Mistretta). These place names reflect the geographical origins and spread of the surname across Sicily and other parts of Italy over the centuries.
While the surname Miceli is relatively uncommon outside of Sicily and Italy, it has been carried across the globe by Italian immigrants, particularly to countries like the United States, Canada, and Argentina, where significant Sicilian communities have been established.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Miceli
Among Census respondents with the surname Miceli, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Miceli 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 Miceli surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 4,169
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 248
- Two or more races1.8% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 30
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Miceli
Miceli 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
#7,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,708
+85 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 380 places
2020
#7,094
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,547
-161 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Up 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,727 | 4,623 | 1.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,107 | 4,708 | 1.60 | +85 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 380 places |
| 2020 | #7,094 | 4,547 | 1.52 | -161 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 13 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 Miceli 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 | #7,107 | #7,094 | 0.2% |
| Count | 4,708 | 4,547 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.52 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Miceli bearers went from 4,708 to 4,547 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,107 to #7,094.
FAQ
Miceli surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Miceli?
Name Census estimates that about 5,214 living Americans carry the surname Miceli. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,737 residents.
How common is Miceli?
Miceli ranks #7,094 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,547 people with the surname Miceli. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,214), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Miceli.
Has Miceli become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Miceli went from 4,708 recorded bearers to 4,547. That is a decrease of 161 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,107 to #7,094.
What does the Census say about the background of Miceli?
Among Census respondents with the surname Miceli, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Miceli in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (4,169 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Miceli appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Miceli (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 Miceli mean?
From the Italian surname Michele, derived from the given name Michael, meaning "who is like God?" 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 Miceli (1.52 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 last name Miceli?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Miceli on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.