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

Scirocco, 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 Scirocco surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Scirocco in America

Scirocco is the 81458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Scirocco surname appeared 232 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Scirocco.

We can also compare 2010 data for Scirocco 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 Scirocco

The surname Scirocco is of Italian origin, specifically from the southern regions of Italy where the warm, humid wind known as the Sirocco blows in from the Mediterranean Sea. The name itself is derived from the Arabic word "shurūq," meaning "rising" or "east wind," referring to the direction from which this wind originates.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Scirocco can be traced back to the 15th century in regions such as Sicily and Calabria. It is believed that the name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to individuals who lived in areas frequently affected by the Sirocco wind, or perhaps even to those whose temperaments were likened to the warm, unpredictable nature of this wind.

In the 16th century, the surname Scirocco appeared in various historical records, including notarial documents and parish registers. One notable example is the mention of a certain Vincenzo Scirocco in a land deed from the city of Palermo, dated 1572. This document provides valuable insight into the prevalence of the name among the local population at that time.

Another early reference to the name Scirocco can be found in a 17th-century manuscript from the region of Calabria, which details the genealogy of a prominent family bearing this surname. The manuscript traces the family's lineage back to a certain Giovanni Scirocco, born in the late 1500s.

Throughout the centuries, several individuals with the surname Scirocco have gained recognition for their contributions in various fields. Antonio Scirocco (1677-1743), for instance, was a renowned Sicilian architect known for his work on numerous churches and public buildings in Palermo and surrounding areas.

Another notable figure was Maria Scirocco (1819-1892), a writer and poet from Calabria who gained popularity for her works celebrating the beauty of her homeland and the struggles of rural life.

In more recent times, the name Scirocco has also been associated with the automotive industry. The Volkswagen Scirocco, a popular sports coupe first introduced in 1974, was named after the warm Mediterranean wind, perhaps as a nod to the car's Italian design influences.

While the surname Scirocco may have originated from a specific geographic region, it has since spread across Italy and beyond, carried by individuals and families who have embraced this evocative name with its rich historical and linguistic roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Scirocco

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

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

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

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