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

Ricci, 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 Ricci surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ricci in America

Ricci is the 3127th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ricci surname appeared 11,534 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Ricci.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ricci 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 Ricci

The surname Ricci has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "riccio," which means "curly" or "frizzy," referring to a person's hair texture.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Ricci name can be found in the Florentine Priorista, a historical document from the 13th century, which lists the names of prominent Florentine families and their representatives in the city's governing council. The Ricci family was among those listed, indicating their influential status during that period.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the Ricci surname was Pietro Ricci, a Florentine merchant and banker who played a significant role in the economic and political affairs of the city-state. He was born in 1320 and lived until 1388.

During the Renaissance period, the Ricci family continued to hold a prominent position in Florentine society. One of the most renowned members was Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), a Jesuit priest and missionary who was one of the first Westerners to introduce Christianity and Western science to China.

Another notable individual with the Ricci surname was Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734), a Venetian Baroque painter known for his frescoes and altarpieces. His works can be found in various churches and palaces throughout Italy and Europe.

In the 19th century, Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro (1853-1925), an Italian mathematician, made significant contributions to the field of tensor calculus, which laid the foundation for Einstein's theory of general relativity.

Throughout its history, the Ricci surname has also been associated with various place names in Italy, such as Riccione, a town in the Emilia-Romagna region, and Riccia, a municipality in the Molise region. These place names may have influenced the spelling and variations of the surname over time.

While the Ricci name has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, the focus of this report is on the historical origins and significance of the surname within the Italian context.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ricci

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

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 Ricci 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 Ricci 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 Ricci was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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