2000
#1,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,735
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.95
Uncommon Last name
Rico
A Spanish surname derived from the Germanic name "Ric" or "Rik," meaning "powerful" or "rich ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,188 Americans carry the last name Rico. That puts it at #1,350 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,743 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rico 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
29K
1 in 11,743
Census rank
#1,350
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,453 bearers of the surname Rico in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1350th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rico, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rico
The surname Rico has its origins in Spain, and it dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Spanish word "rico," which means "rich" or "wealthy." This name was initially given to individuals who were affluent or had a higher social standing.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Rico can be found in medieval Spanish records and documents from the 13th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Rodrigo Rico, a nobleman who lived in the Kingdom of Castile during the reign of Alfonso X in the mid-1200s.
During the Reconquista period, when the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula were gradually reclaiming territories from the Moors, the Rico surname gained prominence. Some notable figures bearing this name include Juan Rico, a military commander who fought in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, and Pedro Rico, a diplomat and ambassador who represented the Crown of Aragon in the 14th century.
As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Americas and other parts of the world, the Rico surname spread to various regions. One famous individual with this surname was Bernardo Rico, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
In the realm of arts and literature, the Rico surname has also left its mark. María Rico, a renowned Spanish poet born in 1929, was a prominent figure in the post-war literary scene in Spain. Her works explored themes of identity, feminism, and societal issues.
Another notable figure with the Rico surname was Antonio Rico, a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived from 1910 to 1998. He was known for his abstract and avant-garde works, and his art was featured in numerous exhibitions across Europe.
While the Rico surname originated in Spain, it has since been adopted by families in various parts of the world, including Latin America, where it has become particularly prevalent due to the Spanish colonial influence in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rico
Among Census respondents with the surname Rico, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rico 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 Rico surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino88.3% · 22,468
- White7.8% · 1,974
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 569
- Two or more races0.7% · 171
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 144
- Black or African American0.5% · 127
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rico
Rico 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
#1,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,954
+7,219 bearers (+38.5%)
Per 100,000 8.80
Rank movement Up 395 places
2020
#1,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,453
-501 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 8.52
Rank movement Up 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,754 | 18,735 | 6.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,359 | 25,954 | 8.80 | +7,219 bearers (+38.5%) | Up 395 places |
| 2020 | #1,350 | 25,453 | 8.52 | -501 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 9 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 Rico 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 | #1,359 | #1,350 | 0.7% |
| Count | 25,954 | 25,453 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 8.80 | 8.52 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rico bearers went from 25,954 to 25,453 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,359 to #1,350.
FAQ
Rico surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rico?
Name Census estimates that about 29,188 living Americans carry the surname Rico. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,743 residents.
How common is Rico?
Rico ranks #1,350 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,453 people with the surname Rico. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Rico.
Has Rico become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rico went from 25,954 recorded bearers to 25,453. That is a decrease of 501 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,359 to #1,350.
What does the Census say about the background of Rico?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rico, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rico in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (22,468 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rico appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (88.3%), White (7.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). 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 Rico (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 Rico mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Germanic name "Ric" or "Rik," meaning "powerful" or "rich ruler." 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 Rico (8.52 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 Rico?
See how many people have the last name Rico on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.