2000
#15,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,742
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Ricca
A surname potentially derived from "ricco" meaning wealthy or rich in Italian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,810 Americans carry the last name Ricca. That puts it at #17,493 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 189,367 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ricca 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 189,367
Census rank
#17,493
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,578 bearers of the surname Ricca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17493rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ricca, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ricca
The surname Ricca is of Italian origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word 'ricco,' meaning 'rich' or 'wealthy.' This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals of affluent or prosperous backgrounds.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ricca can be found in the historic city of Florence, Italy, where the Ricca family played a prominent role in the city's mercantile and banking sectors during the Renaissance period. Notable members of this family include Giovanni Ricca (1498-1572), a renowned Florentine banker, and Antonio Ricca (1515-1589), a respected merchant and philanthropist.
In the 14th century, a branch of the Ricca family settled in the coastal town of Amalfi, located in the Campania region of southern Italy. Here, the name Ricca became associated with a lineage of skilled seafarers and navigators. One of the most famous figures from this branch was Niccolò Ricca (1332-1412), a renowned navigator who aided in the exploration and mapping of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Ricca surname can also be traced back to the island of Sicily, where records from the 16th century indicate the presence of a prominent Ricca family in the city of Palermo. This branch of the family was deeply involved in the local wine trade and held considerable influence in the region's viticultural industry. A notable member of this Sicilian branch was Vincenzo Ricca (1546-1623), a celebrated winemaker and vineyard owner.
In the 17th century, the Ricca name gained prominence in the northern Italian city of Venice, where a family of skilled glassmakers and artisans flourished. One of the most renowned members of this Venetian branch was Marco Ricca (1632-1701), a master glassblower whose intricate creations were highly sought after by European nobility and collectors.
Another notable figure bearing the Ricca surname was Girolamo Ricca (1698-1776), a celebrated architect and engineer from the city of Turin. Ricca's architectural contributions can be seen in several landmark buildings throughout northern Italy, including the Church of San Carlo and the Royal Palace of Venaria Reale.
As the Ricca surname spread across Italy and beyond, it continued to be associated with individuals of distinction and accomplishment in various fields, from the arts and sciences to commerce and politics. While the specific origins of the name may be rooted in wealth and prosperity, its legacy has become intertwined with a rich tapestry of Italian history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ricca
Among Census respondents with the surname Ricca, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ricca 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 Ricca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 1,380
- Hispanic or Latino8.1% · 128
- Two or more races3.2% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 14
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ricca
Ricca 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
#16,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,676
-66 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Down 1,519 places
2020
#17,493
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,578
-98 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Down 535 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,439 | 1,742 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,958 | 1,676 | 0.57 | -66 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 1,519 places |
| 2020 | #17,493 | 1,578 | 0.53 | -98 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 535 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 Ricca 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 | #16,958 | #17,493 | -3.2% |
| Count | 1,676 | 1,578 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.53 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ricca bearers went from 1,676 to 1,578 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 535 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,958 to #17,493.
FAQ
Ricca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ricca?
Name Census estimates that about 1,810 living Americans carry the surname Ricca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 189,367 residents.
How common is Ricca?
Ricca ranks #17,493 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.53 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 1,578 people with the surname Ricca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,810), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.53 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 Ricca.
Has Ricca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ricca went from 1,676 recorded bearers to 1,578. That is a decrease of 98 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,958 to #17,493.
What does the Census say about the background of Ricca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ricca, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Ricca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (1,380 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ricca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (8.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Ricca (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 Ricca mean?
A surname potentially derived from "ricco" meaning wealthy or rich in Italian. 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 Ricca (0.53 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 Americans have the surname Ricca?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.