2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Scarcia
Derived from an Italian word meaning "devoid" or "lacking".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Scarcia. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scarcia 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Scarcia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scarcia, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scarcia
The surname Scarcia has its origins in Italy, emerging during the medieval period, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "scarzo," which means "meager" or "lean," likely referring to a physical characteristic or perhaps the economic status of an ancestor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Amiatinus, a collection of medieval documents from the Abbey of Monte Amiata in Tuscany, dating back to the 11th century. In this codex, there is a mention of a certain "Petrus Scarcia" who held a land title in the area.
During the Renaissance, the Scarcia name gained some prominence in the city of Perugia, Umbria. Records from the 15th century indicate that a family by the name of Scarcia was involved in the local textile trade and held positions of influence within the city's guilds.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Scarcia name was Tommaso Scarcia (1520-1592), a renowned painter and fresco artist who contributed to the decorations of several churches and palaces in Perugia and surrounding areas.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Girolamo Scarcia (1610-1684), a Baroque architect from Umbria who designed several notable buildings, including the Church of San Filippo Neri in Perugia.
In the 18th century, the Scarcia name can be found in the historical records of the city of Siena, Tuscany, where a family of that name held various positions within the local government and clergy.
One of the more recent historical figures with the Scarcia surname was Raffaele Scarcia (1858-1932), an Italian painter and sculptor who was particularly known for his religious artworks and sculptures adorning churches in Rome and the Lazio region.
Throughout its history, the Scarcia name has maintained a strong presence in central Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, where it has been associated with various professions, from artisans and tradesmen to scholars and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scarcia
Among Census respondents with the surname Scarcia, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Scarcia 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 Scarcia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scarcia
Scarcia 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,477 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 17,477 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 1,964 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 Scarcia 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 | #157,234 | #155,270 | 1.2% |
| Count | 103 | 101 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scarcia bearers went from 103 to 101 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 1,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,270.
FAQ
Scarcia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scarcia?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Scarcia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Scarcia?
Scarcia ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Scarcia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Scarcia.
Has Scarcia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scarcia went from 103 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Scarcia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scarcia, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Scarcia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scarcia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (5.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Scarcia (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 Scarcia mean?
Derived from an Italian word meaning "devoid" or "lacking". 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 Scarcia (0.03 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 Scarcia?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.