2000
#10,527
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,796
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Nicosia
A locational surname referring to someone from Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,015 Americans carry the last name Nicosia. That puts it at #11,463 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,683 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nicosia 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
3.0K
1 in 113,683
Census rank
#11,463
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,629 bearers of the surname Nicosia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11463rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicosia, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nicosia
The surname Nicosia is of Italian origin, deriving from the city of Nicosia on the island of Sicily. The name can be traced back to the 11th century when the Normans conquered Sicily and established Norman rule over the region.
The earliest known record of the surname Nicosia appears in the Sicilian tax roll of 1283, where a certain Guglielmo Nicosia is listed as a landowner in the town of Nicosia. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the area by the late 13th century.
During the Middle Ages, the town of Nicosia was an important center of trade and commerce in Sicily, and it is likely that the surname originated from individuals who were either born or lived in the town. The name may have also been adopted by those who had strong ties or connections to the town, such as merchants or officials.
One notable figure bearing the surname Nicosia was Pietro Nicosia, a Sicilian architect who lived in the 16th century. He is credited with designing several churches and public buildings in Palermo and other Sicilian cities, including the Church of San Matteo al Cassaro in Palermo.
In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Nicosia family was Girolamo Nicosia, a Sicilian nobleman and military leader who served in the Spanish army during the War of the Mantuan Succession (1628-1631). He was recognized for his bravery and military exploits during the conflict.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Nicosia was Vincenzo Nicosia, a Sicilian painter who lived in the late 18th century. He was known for his religious works and portraits, many of which can be found in churches and museums throughout Sicily.
In the 19th century, Antonio Nicosia was a Sicilian politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the Parliament of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. He was a vocal advocate for liberal reforms and played a significant role in the Sicilian revolutionary movements of the 1840s.
Over time, the surname Nicosia has spread beyond Sicily and can now be found in various parts of Italy, as well as in other countries with Italian diasporas, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nicosia
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicosia, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nicosia 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 Nicosia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,417
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 132
- Two or more races1.8% · 47
- Black or African American0.6% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nicosia
Nicosia 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
#10,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,894
+98 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 460 places
2020
#11,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,629
-265 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 476 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,527 | 2,796 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,987 | 2,894 | 0.98 | +98 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 460 places |
| 2020 | #11,463 | 2,629 | 0.88 | -265 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 476 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 Nicosia 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 | #10,987 | #11,463 | -4.3% |
| Count | 2,894 | 2,629 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.88 | -10.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nicosia bearers went from 2,894 to 2,629 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 476 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,987 to #11,463.
FAQ
Nicosia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nicosia?
Name Census estimates that about 3,015 living Americans carry the surname Nicosia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,683 residents.
How common is Nicosia?
Nicosia ranks #11,463 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 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 2,629 people with the surname Nicosia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,015), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 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 Nicosia.
Has Nicosia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nicosia went from 2,894 recorded bearers to 2,629. That is a decrease of 265 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,987 to #11,463.
What does the Census say about the background of Nicosia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicosia, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) 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 Nicosia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,417 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nicosia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (5.0%), 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 Nicosia (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 Nicosia mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus. 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 Nicosia (0.88 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 share the surname Nicosia?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.