2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sampica
A surname originating from Spain, perhaps related to the Spanish word "pica" meaning a small bird or pickaxe.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Sampica. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sampica 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Sampica in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sampica, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sampica
The surname Sampica has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Catalonia and Valencia during the late 15th century. It is believed to have originated from a combination of the Catalan word "sampi," meaning a type of local plant, and the suffix "ca," which denotes a dwelling or place. This linguistic connection suggests that the name could have been derived from a location or settlement associated with the cultivation or abundance of this particular plant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sampica can be found in the archives of the Kingdom of Aragon, where a certain Pedro Sampica was mentioned as a landowner in the town of Morella in the year 1487. This reference provides valuable insight into the geographic distribution and historical presence of the surname in the region.
Interestingly, the name Sampica also appears in several ecclesiastical records from the 16th century, indicating its presence within the clergy and religious orders of the time. For instance, a Friar Juan Sampica was documented as a member of the Franciscan Order in the city of Valencia in 1528.
As time progressed, the Sampica surname gradually spread beyond its initial confines, with bearers of the name establishing themselves in various parts of Spain and even venturing to the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable figure was Hernando Sampica, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
Another prominent individual bearing the Sampica surname was Alonso Sampica, a renowned architect and master builder who lived in Seville during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His contributions to the city's architectural landscape, particularly his work on the renowned Giralda bell tower, have left a lasting legacy.
In the realm of literature, the name Sampica gained recognition through the works of the 17th-century Spanish playwright and poet, Lope de Vega. One of his plays, "El Villano en su Rincón" (The Peasant in His Corner), featured a character named Sampica, possibly reflecting the prevalence of the surname during that era.
As the centuries progressed, the Sampica name continued to be carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and military figures. Among them was María Sampica, a celebrated painter from the 18th century whose works adorned the walls of several churches and noble households in Valencia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sampica
Among Census respondents with the surname Sampica, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sampica 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 Sampica surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sampica
Sampica 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,647 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+10 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,647 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 11,529 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 Sampica 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 | #160,975 | #149,446 | 7.2% |
| Count | 100 | 110 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sampica bearers went from 100 to 110 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 11,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #149,446.
FAQ
Sampica surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sampica?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Sampica. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Sampica?
Sampica ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Sampica. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sampica.
Has Sampica become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sampica went from 100 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 10 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Sampica?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sampica, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Sampica in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sampica appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Hispanic (7.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Sampica (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 Sampica mean?
A surname originating from Spain, perhaps related to the Spanish word "pica" meaning a small bird or pickaxe. 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 Sampica (0.04 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 Sampica?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.