2000
#15,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,782
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Mollica
A surname originating from Sicily, derived from the Italian word "mollica" meaning crumb or breadcrumb.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,837 Americans carry the last name Mollica. That puts it at #17,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 186,584 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mollica 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
1.8K
1 in 186,584
Census rank
#17,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,602 bearers of the surname Mollica in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mollica, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mollica
The surname Mollica has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern regions of Sicily and Calabria. It likely emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is believed to derive from the Latin word "mollis," meaning soft or tender, possibly referring to a person's gentle nature or a connection to a place with soft or fertile soil.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mollica can be found in the Sicilian town of Alcamo, where a document from the 13th century mentions a family with this surname. It's also worth noting that the name appears in various ancient manuscripts and records from the medieval period in Sicily and Calabria, often associated with land ownership or notable figures in local communities.
During the Renaissance and Early Modern periods, the Mollica name gained prominence in several Italian cities. In the 16th century, a notable figure was Giovanni Battista Mollica (1515-1590), a Sicilian sculptor and architect who worked on several important projects in Palermo and other parts of Sicily. Another individual of note was Francesco Mollica (1618-1689), a Calabrian philosopher and writer who authored several works on ethics and philosophy.
As the Mollica family spread across Italy and beyond, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Mollica, Molica, or Molicca. Some of these variations were influenced by regional dialects or the adoption of different orthographic conventions over time. For instance, in the 18th century, a branch of the Mollica family settled in Naples, where they became known as the Molica family.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Mollica was Gaetano Mollica (1889-1965), an Italian painter and sculptor from Sicily who gained recognition for his works depicting rural life and landscapes. His artwork can be found in several museums and galleries across Italy.
Another notable figure was Francesco Mollica (1914-1992), an Italian film director and screenwriter who worked on several acclaimed movies during the golden age of Italian cinema. He is particularly remembered for his collaborations with renowned directors like Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini.
In the realm of literature, the name Mollica is associated with Vincenzo Mollica (1954-), an Italian journalist and writer who has authored several books on cinema and has been a prominent figure in Italian television and media for decades.
While the Mollica surname has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities, particularly in the Americas and Australia. However, its rich historical origins and connections to Italian culture and notable figures remain an integral part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mollica
Among Census respondents with the surname Mollica, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mollica 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 Mollica surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,458
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 83
- Two or more races2.2% · 36
- Black or African American0.9% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mollica
Mollica 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
#15,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,900
+118 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 234 places
2020
#17,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,602
-298 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Down 1,855 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,184 | 1,782 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,418 | 1,900 | 0.64 | +118 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 234 places |
| 2020 | #17,273 | 1,602 | 0.54 | -298 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 1,855 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 Mollica 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 | #15,418 | #17,273 | -12.0% |
| Count | 1,900 | 1,602 | -15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.54 | -16.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mollica bearers went from 1,900 to 1,602 (-15.7% change). The surname moved down 1,855 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,418 to #17,273.
FAQ
Mollica surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mollica?
Name Census estimates that about 1,837 living Americans carry the surname Mollica. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 186,584 residents.
How common is Mollica?
Mollica ranks #17,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.54 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 1,602 people with the surname Mollica. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,837), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.54 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 Mollica.
Has Mollica become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mollica went from 1,900 recorded bearers to 1,602. That is a decrease of 298 (-15.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,418 to #17,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Mollica?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mollica, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Mollica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,458 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mollica appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Mollica (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 Mollica mean?
A surname originating from Sicily, derived from the Italian word "mollica" meaning crumb or breadcrumb. 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 Mollica (0.54 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 are called Mollica?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Mollica at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.