2000
#4,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,811
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.90
Rare Last name
Sisco
Derived from a place name in Italy, likely referring to someone who originated from that location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,791 Americans carry the last name Sisco. That puts it at #4,491 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,989 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sisco 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
8.8K
1 in 38,989
Census rank
#4,491
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,666 bearers of the surname Sisco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4491st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisco, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sisco
The surname SISCO has its origins in Italy, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "fiscus," which referred to a basket or a woven container used for carrying goods. The name may have been initially given as a nickname or an occupational descriptor to individuals involved in trades that required the use of such baskets.
One of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in the archives of the Republic of Venice, where a certain Giovanni Sisco was recorded as a merchant in the year 1287. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during that time period.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various documents across different regions of Italy, including Florence and Naples. Records from this era indicate variations in the spelling, such as "Sischo" and "Siscone," reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic variations of the time.
During the Renaissance period, the surname gained prominence with the rise of a notable Sisco family in the city of Genoa. They were known for their involvement in maritime trade and naval affairs. One of the most renowned members was Admiral Andrea Sisco, who lived from 1480 to 1548 and played a crucial role in the naval battles against the Ottoman Empire.
In the 16th century, the name SISCO was also found in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in the areas around Naples and Salerno. A notable figure from this era was Giulio Sisco, a renowned philosopher and scholar who lived from 1520 to 1591 and authored several influential works on metaphysics and ethics.
As the centuries progressed, the name continued to spread across Italy and beyond. In the 18th century, a prominent Sisco family established itself in the city of Palermo, Sicily. One of its members, Francesco Sisco (1738-1814), was a highly respected jurist and legal scholar who contributed significantly to the development of Sicilian law.
Another notable individual bearing the surname SISCO was the Italian painter and sculptor Giuseppe Sisco, who lived from 1675 to 1751. His works, which included religious altarpieces and portraits, adorned churches and galleries throughout Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria.
While the surname SISCO has its roots firmly planted in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and various historical events. However, the name's origins can be traced back to the Italian peninsula, where it has a rich and diverse history spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sisco
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisco, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sisco 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 Sisco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.4% · 6,086
- Black or African American7.8% · 599
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 427
- Two or more races4.9% · 375
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 125
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sisco
Sisco 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
#4,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,993
+182 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.71
Rank movement Down 235 places
2020
#4,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,666
-327 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 2.56
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,205 | 7,811 | 2.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,440 | 7,993 | 2.71 | +182 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 235 places |
| 2020 | #4,491 | 7,666 | 2.56 | -327 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 51 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 Sisco 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 | #4,440 | #4,491 | -1.1% |
| Count | 7,993 | 7,666 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.71 | 2.56 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sisco bearers went from 7,993 to 7,666 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,440 to #4,491.
FAQ
Sisco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sisco?
Name Census estimates that about 8,791 living Americans carry the surname Sisco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,989 residents.
How common is Sisco?
Sisco ranks #4,491 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,666 people with the surname Sisco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,791), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Sisco.
Has Sisco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sisco went from 7,993 recorded bearers to 7,666. That is a decrease of 327 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,440 to #4,491.
What does the Census say about the background of Sisco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sisco, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Sisco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (6,086 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sisco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.4%), Black (7.8%), Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Sisco (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 Sisco mean?
Derived from a place name in Italy, likely referring to someone who originated from that location. 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 Sisco (2.56 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 Sisco?
See how common the surname Sisco is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.