Find out how popular the last name Pico is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pico.

Pico, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pico surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pico in America

Pico is the 16944th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pico surname appeared 1,678 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pico.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pico to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pico

The surname PICO originated in Spain and Italy during the medieval period. In Spain, it is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "pico" meaning "peak" or "hilltop," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a prominent peak or hill. In Italy, the name is thought to have derived from the Italian word "piccolo" meaning "small" or "little," possibly referring to someone of small stature or a small place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PICO can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Picot," which was likely a Norman French variation of the surname.

During the Middle Ages, the name PICO was found in various parts of Europe. In Spain, there are records of a noble family named PICO from the region of Aragon in the 13th century. In Italy, the PICO family was prominent in the city of Mirandola, near Modena, and produced several notable figures, including Giovanni PICO della Mirandola (1463-1494), a renowned Renaissance philosopher and scholar.

In England, the name appears in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of 1176, which mention a "William PICO." Another notable figure was Sir John PICO (c. 1325-1384), an English knight who served under Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

Other notable individuals with the surname PICO include:

1. Pedro PICO (1799-1892), a prominent Mexican-American landowner and politician in California.
2. Rafael PICO (1839-1909), a Mexican-American rancher and businessman in California.
3. Andrés PICO (1810-1876), a Mexican-American military officer and rancher in California.
4. Mariano PICO (1801-1876), a Mexican-American politician who served as the last Governor of Mexican California.
5. Vittorio PICO (1928-2001), an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his work in the commedia all'italiana genre.

The surname PICO has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including PICCO, PICEAU, PICAULT, and PICOT, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions where the name was prevalent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pico

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pico.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pico was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pico has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pico was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pico, please contact us.

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