2000
#8,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,341
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Siciliano
Denoting a person from Sicily or of Sicilian descent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,897 Americans carry the last name Siciliano. That puts it at #9,213 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,953 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Siciliano 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
3.9K
1 in 87,953
Census rank
#9,213
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,398 bearers of the surname Siciliano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9213th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Siciliano, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Siciliano
The surname Siciliano originates from the Italian island of Sicily and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian adjective "siciliano," which means "Sicilian" or "from Sicily." The name likely emerged as a way to identify individuals who hailed from Sicily or had ancestral roots there.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Siciliano can be found in the Sicilian Vespers, a significant uprising against the French domination of Sicily in 1282. During this period, several individuals with the surname Siciliano were documented as participants or supporters of the rebellion.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Sicilian administrative records and manuscripts, indicating its widespread use among the island's population. One notable figure from this era was Giovanni Siciliano, a renowned sculptor and architect who contributed to the construction of several churches and monuments in Palermo, the capital of Sicily.
The Siciliano surname gained further prominence during the Renaissance period, particularly in the realms of art and literature. Francesco Siciliano (1542-1609), a celebrated painter from Messina, Sicily, was renowned for his religious works and portraiture. His artwork adorned numerous churches and noble residences across the island.
In the 18th century, the Siciliano family played a significant role in the political and intellectual life of Sicily. Giuseppe Siciliano (1720-1789) was a prominent philosopher and writer who advocated for the reform of education and the promotion of Sicilian culture. His works inspired a generation of scholars and intellectuals in the region.
Another notable figure was Vincenzo Siciliano (1775-1847), a lawyer and politician who served as a minister in the Sicilian government during the Napoleonic era. He was instrumental in negotiating the island's autonomy and preserving its unique political and cultural identity.
Throughout history, the Siciliano surname has been associated with various professions, including artists, writers, scholars, and politicians, all of whom contributed to the rich cultural heritage of Sicily and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Siciliano
Among Census respondents with the surname Siciliano, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Siciliano 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 Siciliano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 2,992
- Hispanic or Latino9.2% · 311
- Two or more races1.8% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Siciliano
Siciliano 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
#9,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,464
+123 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 392 places
2020
#9,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,398
-66 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Up 176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,997 | 3,341 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,389 | 3,464 | 1.17 | +123 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 392 places |
| 2020 | #9,213 | 3,398 | 1.14 | -66 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 176 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 Siciliano 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 | #9,389 | #9,213 | 1.9% |
| Count | 3,464 | 3,398 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.14 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Siciliano bearers went from 3,464 to 3,398 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 176 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,389 to #9,213.
FAQ
Siciliano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Siciliano?
Name Census estimates that about 3,897 living Americans carry the surname Siciliano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,953 residents.
How common is Siciliano?
Siciliano ranks #9,213 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,398 people with the surname Siciliano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,897), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Siciliano.
Has Siciliano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Siciliano went from 3,464 recorded bearers to 3,398. That is a decrease of 66 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,389 to #9,213.
What does the Census say about the background of Siciliano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Siciliano, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Siciliano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (2,992 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Siciliano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Hispanic (9.2%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Siciliano (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 Siciliano mean?
Denoting a person from Sicily or of Sicilian descent. 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 Siciliano (1.14 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 common is the surname Siciliano?
You can see how many people are called Siciliano on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.