2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Nici
A surname derived from the Romanian word meaning "not at all" or "by no means".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Nici. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nici 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Nici in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nici, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nici
The surname NICI is believed to have originated from the Italian region of Tuscany during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Italian word "nicchia," which means "niche" or "small recess." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived or worked in a small, niche-like space or dwelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the NICI surname can be found in the Tuscan town of Siena, where a family by the name of NICI is mentioned in a historical document from the 14th century. This document, which is part of the city's archives, details a legal dispute over property ownership involving members of the NICI family.
During the Renaissance period, the NICI surname gained prominence in the city of Florence, where several individuals with this name were noted for their contributions to the arts and literature. One such figure was Giulio NICI (1510-1588), a renowned painter and sculptor who was commissioned to create works for various churches and noble households in Florence.
In the 17th century, the NICI surname appeared in the port city of Livorno, where a merchant named Pietro NICI (1622-1698) established a successful trading business. His descendants continued to play a significant role in the city's commercial affairs for several generations.
Another notable NICI was Tommaso NICI (1782-1856), a military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent figure in the Italian Risorgimento movement, which sought to unify the various Italian states into a single nation.
During the 19th century, the NICI surname spread beyond Italy as members of the family emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. For example, a certain Vincenzo NICI (1845-1912) was a prominent winemaker who settled in Argentina and helped establish the country's thriving wine industry.
While the NICI surname remains relatively uncommon outside of Italy, it has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscape of the Italian peninsula, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Livorno.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nici
Among Census respondents with the surname Nici, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Nici 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 Nici surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 91
- Two or more races8.3% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nici
Nici 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-29 bearers (-22.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 36,176 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,299 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -29 bearers (-22.0%) | Down 36,176 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 6,299 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 Nici 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 | #157,234 | #150,935 | 4.0% |
| Count | 103 | 108 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nici bearers went from 103 to 108 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 6,299 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #150,935.
FAQ
Nici surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nici?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Nici. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Nici?
Nici ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Nici. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Nici.
Has Nici become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nici went from 103 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 5 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Nici?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nici, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (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 Nici in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nici appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Two or More Races (8.3%), Hispanic (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 Nici (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 Nici mean?
A surname derived from the Romanian word meaning "not at all" or "by no means". 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 Nici (0.04 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 Nici?
If you just want to know how common the surname Nici is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.