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

Surace, 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 Surace surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Surace in America

Surace is the 25572nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Surace surname appeared 965 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 Surace.

We can also compare 2010 data for Surace 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 Surace

The surname Surace originated in Italy, likely in the region of Calabria, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin word "surra," meaning "reddish-brown" or "dark-colored." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname referring to someone with a swarthy complexion or dark hair.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Surace can be traced back to historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in Calabria. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Giacomo Surace, a landowner mentioned in a land grant from 1287, and Nicola Surace, a merchant who appears in records from the city of Reggio Calabria in 1349.

During the Renaissance period, the Surace family established itself as a prominent noble lineage in the town of Seminara, located in the province of Reggio Calabria. One notable figure from this family was Girolamo Surace (1522-1592), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a magistrate in Naples.

In the 18th century, the Surace name can be found in historical records from the nearby town of Palmi, where several members of the family held positions of local prominence. Francesco Surace (1713-1790) was a respected lawyer and civic leader, while his son, Giuseppe Surace (1748-1822), was a renowned poet and playwright.

Another significant figure bearing the Surace surname was Domenico Surace (1826-1896), a prominent Italian politician who served as a deputy in the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy during the late 19th century. He was a vocal advocate for the interests of the rural population in Calabria and played a key role in the development of the region's agricultural policies.

In more recent times, the Surace surname has spread beyond its origins in Calabria, with bearers of the name found throughout Italy and in Italian diaspora communities around the world. Notable individuals with the surname include Fulvio Surace (born 1945), an Italian academic and author who has written extensively on the history and culture of Calabria, and Vincenzo Surace (born 1958), a renowned Italian chef and restaurateur who has helped popularize Calabrian cuisine internationally.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Surace

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

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

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

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